Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe
by Foibles and Fables
Summary: My version of Xenosaga 2. That means more romance and retarded humor at random moments. All finished!
1. Rainfall

Thanks for clicking! This is Xenosaga Episode 2, my way! This starts up the night Shion and company land on Second Miltia.

This story is dedicated to Tina Soo-Hoo, one of the most influential people in my life. She was my favorite Taekwondo instructor, and now she is moving halfway across the country to California. She will always be remembered here by her students.

This chapter is a bit OOC. I had to make S and A seem a little more seductive than they are.

**DISCALIMER**: I don't own anything in this fanfic, nor do I own Shion's new earring. I wish I did, though…

Italicized words are either Shion's memories or inner thoughts.

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**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 1: Rainfall**

The rain angrily pummeled the roof of Jin's house. Jin and chaos had gone out for the night, leaving Shion home alone. She padded through the house on bare feet, wearing a pair of silk red pajama bottoms, a white T-shirt, and of course: Kevin's necklace. Her hair was down instead of in that braid she seemed to wear 24/7. Shell-shocked from the battles in Proto Merkabah, she laid down on the couch, stretching out her fatigued legs. Shion pulled out her connection gear and started going over some of KOS-MOS' data, seeing the text with amazing clarity even though she didn't have her glasses. She didn't need them to see. The only reason why she wore them was because Kevin had given them to her and told her that she looked good with them on…it all seemed silly to her now. Shion was kind of glad that Allen had stepped on them…even though it wasn't Allen's fault. Jr. had pushed him, and Allen had knocked into Shion. Shion's glasses fell off, and Allen stepped on them. She laughed just thinking of it.

A few days ago, chaos had told Shion about a conversation he had with Allen in the park area of the Durandal. Allen had said that he wanted to take Shion's pain away. She had never realized how much Allen cared about her. He had always been just her friend, just her co-worker. She had never thought of her and Allen as a couple before, and the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. It wasn't that Shion didn't care about Kevin anymore. You can never forget your first love, can you? Shion could almost feel hers and Allen's fingers lacing together, the heat of his lips brushing against her cheek, pressing against her own, moving slowly down her neck…she leaned back, closed her eyes, and grinned.

Lightning flashed outside, turning the night into day for a split second. A short moment later, thunder crashed. Shion jumped up off the couch and walked to look out of the screen door. The rain pounded heavily against the stone walkway, splashing upwards as it made contact with the ground. The cold wind blew, and Shion closed the door, shivering. She walked back over to the couch and sat down, her eyes filling with tears.

_"Feb!"_

_The rain pelted the eight year old girl's body as she watched the realian being attacked. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the rainwater._

_"Shion…g-go to your mother's hospital room," Feb said weakly, "your parents are there…" The three infected realians pounced on top of her and began devouring her._

_"But Feb! What about y-" Shion looked at the scene with horror._

_"Just go!" The woman became silent as her blood poured out onto the ground._

_The hospital room was darkened. The only lights were the brief flashes of lightning outside the window. Shion whimpered as her dad held on to her tighter. "Shion, it's okay. As long as we're quiet, everything will be alright…"_

_Suddenly, screaming and crashes were heard outside. "They're coming!" "Everyone down!" cried random voices from outside. _

_Then there was the sound of gunshots, and then silence. Suddenly, there was pounding on the door as the handle jiggled. "Oh my god!" cried Shion's mother, "Hide Shion! She's the only one who matters!"_

_Shion's dad nodded and shoved Shion in a cupboard. The cupboard was small, dark, and cramped. Shion shook as she heard gunshots, screaming, and bodies hitting the floor outside, and then footsteps leading in the opposite direction. Shion kicked the cupboard open and tumbled out of it. She looked around to see all the bodies lying motionless on the blood-soaked ground. Shion immediately began crying. "Mom! Dad!" She saw no response from them. She cried even harder as she collapsed to the ground. She tilted her head upwards as she cried, "Jin, where are you!"_

_The rain pelted the roof of Vector Headquarters on Second Miltia. "We're going to commence the KOS-MOS startup," said the man with the blue hair. He squeezed Shion's hand nervously. "Here we go," he muttered anxiously to her._

"_Kevin, honey, it'll be fine," she said, looking up at her fiancée with dreamy eyes. Kevin bit his lip, for he knew what was going to happen next._

_Suddenly, the door busted open. U-TIC soldiers poured in, their rifles aimed at the employees. The head officer marched in. "This facility is now under control of the U-TIC Organization. Any resistance whatsoever will be met with deadly force, so don't even think about trying anything. As long as you follow our orders, you will not be harmed. We appreciate your cooperation." The officer then pulled out a remote and pressed the red button on the top. The pod in the center of the room began to open as mist poured from the sides._

"_KOS-MOS!" cried Shion. The android sat up in the pod, and reached her hand to the side. All of a sudden, KOS-MOS made a jerking motion and her head spun all the way around. KOS-MOS crouched down on all fours on the side of her pod before tackling the nearest U-TIC soldier, mutilating him. She then grabbed a female Vector employee by the throat, and Shion gasped in horror as she saw the android slaughtering one of her own creators. The head U-TIC soldier began retreating to the elevators, but KOS-MOS was hot on his trail. She hit him backwards and he collided with the wall, a sickening thud accompanying it. Suddenly, the android changed her course, heading straight for Shion._

"_No…NO!" Shion scrambled backwards, her eyes wide with panic. When her back hit a computer terminal, she frantically searched behind her for something to ward KOS-MOS off with, her eyes swarming with tears. But it was too late. The android held her arm up, and it materialized into a glowing red blade. "No…please, no…" Shion closed her eyes and bit her lip, ready to feel herself being impaled on the blade._

"_Shion! No!" Instead of feeling the blade piercing her chest, she felt warm blood splattering on her uniform. She opened her eyes to see Kevin standing over her, KOS-MOS' blade protruding from his back. KOS-MOS pulled her arm out of him, the blade turning back into a metallic hand. The man's body fell to the ground, and Shion threw herself down beside him, caressing his head. _

"_Oh my god, no! No! This can't be happening!" she said, sobbing so hard that it hurt. Shion shook Kevin's body as hard as she could. "Wake up! Please, Kevin! Please, wake up!"_

_The man's hand came up to caress her cheek. He looked into her eyes and said, "Shion, I had to… my fault…all of it…had to stay loyal…" He let out an intense moan of pain. "Shion, I love you…" His hand fell from her cheek as he died._

_Shion sobbed even harder than before, her throat sore from weeping. She barely had time to turn her head aside before she was sick, hot tears mixing with the other fluids. She wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve, and she spotted a gun lying on the ground about five feet from her. She stood up and seized it. With a determined look on her face, she ran outside into the rain, the ice-cold drops hitting her body, stinging where they made contact. She spotted the wayward android opening fire on a U-TIC helicopter, and she fired the gun, the bullet knocking the head off of the menace._

By that time, Shion was curled up in a ball on the couch, weeping. _Why me! Why did this all have to happen to me!_ She thought to herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw her head backwards and cried, "I can't take this anymore! I hate rain!" She pressed her face into the pillow, sobbing hoarsely.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "C-coming…" she said shakily. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and wiped her eyes. She stood up and walked to the door, expecting to see a UPS man delivering some of KOS-MOS' new weaponry. Instead, she saw Allen, his hair and shirt soaked from the rain. Her heart leapt into her throat as she stammered, "Oh! A-Allen! Hi!" _Oh, I look like a mess…_ "Um, could you give me _one_ second?" she asked.

"Sure Chie-" he said as she slammed the door on his face.

"Shit shit shit shit shit…" She jogged into her room and stood in front of the mirror, running her hands through her hair in a vain attempt to style it. She let out a sigh of frustration as she realized that it wasn't working, and she walked back to the door to let Allen in. "Come on in," she said.

Allen toed off his muddy shoes and walked in. He saw Shion's red eyes and flushed cheeks. "Chief, are you all right? You've been crying, haven't you?" he asked gently.

"Oh, uh, no! I…um…" Shion quickly tried to think of an excuse. "I…er…I had a sneezing fit! Don't you hate those?" She mentally smacked herself. _That was a **great** excuse, Shion. Now you look like an idiot. _

"Oh. Okay," Allen said, not entirely convinced. "But if there's anything you'd like to talk about, I'd be glad to listen…"

"There's nothing to talk about," Shion said. Allen sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair. Shion's heart fluttered as she tried to resist the urge to blush. She had never noticed how sexy his hair was, the way it neatly fell just above his eyes. She had never realized how seductive his blue eyes were, the shade of them so deep it seemed that they could see right through you.

"Oh! Here, Chief, I wanted to jewelry give this to you," Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I know it can't replace the sentimental value of your glasses, but I felt bad for breaking them."

Shion's hand flew to her mouth as she opened the box. "Oh my…" Inside, there was an earring. The stud was a ruby, and a small chain connected it to a clasp, which attached to the middle of your ear.

"Turn it over," Allen said. Shion flipped the clasp over to see that it was engraved with the words 'Shion Uzuki – Chief of Vector First R and D Division'.

"Wow…this is amazing…" Shion said. "Where did you find this?" she asked.

"I had it custom-made," he replied.

"Oh my god…Allen, you have no idea how much this means to me…thank you so much!" Shion wrapped her arms around him in a friendly embrace, resting her head against his chest. His heartbeat became rapid as he awkwardly placed his arms around her.

"Y-you're welcome, Chief," he replied. Shion smirked at his reaction. She lingered in his arms for another second, not wanting to let go. But she did, for it would be pretty awkward if she didn't stop hugging him. "Well, I guess I'll be going now," said Allen, his face burning bright red.

"No, don't leave yet!" Shion said. Her cheeks tinted red too, embarrassed at her sudden outburst. "I-I mean, I could give you a dry shirt…you're soaked."

"But won't it just get wet again when I go outside?"

"I could lend you an umbrella."

"Then I'd love to stay a bit longer," said Allen, admitting to himself that he liked the idea.

"Okay," Shion smiled. "Wait for one second." She said, going into Jin's room. She rummaged around in his chest of drawers, searching for a shirt for Allen to wear.

Allen looked around the living room, and noticed some pictures on the mantle. He looked at each of them. There was one of Shion's entire family, taken when Shion was a baby, there was one of Jin in his old federation army uniform, and a picture of Shion graduating from high school. Then, there was Shion and Kevin's engagement picture. _Damn it…_ He thought to himself, clenching his fists. _I'll never be that important to her. If only I could just tell her how I feel…but I just can't…_

"Um, I found you one of Jin's old scrub shirts, they're the only shirts he owns," Shion said, breaking Allen out of his reverie. He quickly whirled around to see that she was standing about an inch away from him. He tried to resist the urge to grin goofily as he saw that she was wearing that "innocent yet sexy" look that would always cause him to make a fool of himself in some way. They stared at each other for a few seconds until…

"Are you gonna put on the shirt or not?" Shion asked, laughing.

"Oh, um, yeah!" Allen said, taking the shirt from her. "Oh boy, this is getting pretty awkward…" he muttered quietly to himself.

"Hm? What was that?" Shion asked.

"Er, N-nothing! Nothing at all!" Allen said, now sweating profusely. He looked at Shion for a few seconds, until…

"Uh, I'm going to put the shirt on now…" he said.

"Oh! Okay, I'll be in my room," she said, walking down the hall. She walked into her room, shut the door, and stood in front of the mirror.

"Okay, Shion," she told herself, glaring at her reflection, "You're gonna do this just like you did it with Kevin…" she smiled. "Maybe tonight will end up just like then. Well, hopefully not EXACTLY…" she said, raising her eyebrows. Shion walked out of her room and looked at Allen, who was now wearing the scrub shirt.

"Hey, you want some tea?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"No thanks, I'm good," he said.

"Okay," Shion said. "You can sit down if you want. You must be tired from walking all the way here." Allen nodded and sat down on the couch. Shion walked over and sat down next to Allen. "So, how's KOS-MOS?" she asked, scooting a little closer up to him.

"Oh, uh, KOS-MOS! Yeah, sh-she's responding just fine to the s-second research and d-development division of Ve-vector, th-the company we work for." Allen looked around frantically, trying to think of another thing to talk about. "Um, I like your hair. It looks nice when it's down like that. It's also nice to see you in normal clothes."

Shion tried to hold back laughter when she saw how flustered he was getting. "That's good. It's great that Miyuki hasn't attacked her out of frustration yet, though it probably won't be long before she does," Shion said, laughing. "Oh, and thanks. I kinda like it too…" _Okay, Shion, it's now or never. This is going perfectly according to plan. It's just like four years ago._ "Allen, I have to tell you something," she said.

"Wait. No. Me first," Allen took a deep breath. "Chief, I…um…I…"

"Go on, I'm listening."

"I l-lo-…" Allen closed his eyes and cursed to himself. "Okay, let me try it this way…Chief, have you ever had a friend who you liked as more than that, but you never told that friend because you were worried that they didn't feel the same way?"

"Yeah," Shion said, looking at the floor, "I know the feeling." Allen narrowed his eyes, a bit confused at her.

"You do?"

"…Yes," Shion said, turning her head down, hoping that if she confessed it wouldn't come out the wrong way.

"Uh, well, who is it?" Allen said, unaware of his words.

Shion looked up at him, searching his blue eyes with her green ones. They sat there, staring at each other, the only sound the thunder outside.

Suddenly, Shion felt her eyes starting to close as if she was falling asleep. She felt herself being pulled towards Allen like steel to a magnet. Her arms wrapped around his body, and in turn, his arms wrapped around her. Her mouth opened slightly as their faces grew nearer and nearer.

A loud crash of thunder sounded the instant that their lips touched. Butterflies raged in Shion's stomach as they continued kissing. Abruptly, Allen broke the kiss, let go of Shion, and said, "I shouldn't have done that. I _really_ shouldn't have done that." Allen stood up and closed his eyes. "God dammit, Ridgeley, nice move." He sighed. "Well, now that I made a complete fool of myself, I'll be going…" Allen started towards the door.

"No! Don't go!" Shion got up from the couch and pulled him back down. She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him again, this time more hard and roughly. "Mmm…" she said opening her eyes. "I think we both needed to do that." Allen, eyes wide, opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He was obviously in shock.

Shion laughed at his reaction. "Now that we got that out of the way," she said, bringing her face close to his, "You're who."

"B-but th-the Kevin and the…d-death and the still lo-loving h-him and the-" He was cut off unexpectedly by Shion's lips on his once again.

"That was a long time ago," she said, "and I thought I loved him. Hell, we were engaged." _That and something else…_she thought to herself. "But now I realize that I loved him as a mentor, nothing more. I didn't want to let go of my relationship with him."

"Really? Because whenever I tried to show any affection to you, you either didn't notice or ignored me," he said, moving a bit farther away from her.

"I know," Shion said dejectedly, her eyes sparkling with tears. "I'm such a jerk…I did notice. Every time. I was just too afraid to let you into my life…" She looked up at him. "I was too afraid to lose you…" A single tear streamed down her face.

"I guess I never thought about it that way…" Allen gently brushed the tear away, and Shion nuzzled her cheek against his.

"Allen, none of that matters anymore…" Shion said. "I'm not afraid of losing anyone anymore," she stated, smiling mysteriously. _Exactly the same…exactly the same…_She brushed her lips past his cheek lightly and quickly. "I've been too afraid to tell anyone how I feel for the past two years," she whispered. "I love you... and I'm going to prove it."

She saw his eyes widen just before she leaned in to nip playfully at one corner of his mouth, then the other. His hips twitched forward against her, and she smiled again.

"That's it," she whispered against the his ear, letting my warm breath tickle the sensitive skin. He hummed deep in his throat, and she pressed herself tightly against him. "I want you to forget everything, Allen," she continued, moving her lips down his jawbone and onto the soft skin of his neck. "Forget everything except that you're a man, and I'm a woman, and I love you."

He groaned then, softly, and she felt the vibration against my lips. Slowly, she laid him down and moved above him, until all of her weight was resting on top of him. His wide, cerulean eyes stared at her, but he still he said nothing. She leaned forward to kiss him again - intensely, eagerly - while she slid one hand down to the hem of his shirt, then under it to massage the soft skin of his stomach. The muscles beneath twitched, then relaxed.

Shion broke the kiss to whisper, "Mmm…Allen," and allowed the free fingers of her other hand to trace his flat left nipple through the scrub shirt. He took in a deep, gasping breath as her knuckles grazed it lightly.

"Ch-Chief?"

"Just call me Shion," she said, moving her hand from his left nipple to his right.

"Shion…"

It was hearing her name that undid her. The way he gasped it out, the tone he said it in set her on fire. Suddenly, she found herself kissing him again, only more desperately. Their bodies were pressed so close together the atoms of their clothing might have fused. Allen kissed her back for a while, until he rolled them over so that he was on top.

"My turn," he said, smiling down at her. "I fell in love with you the day I saw you. You know what's changed since then?" Shion shook her head. "Absolutely nothing. I was always trying to let you know how I felt, but I was always too afraid of rejection. You seemed to be so preoccupied with Kevin…but that never changed how I felt."

Shion smiled shyly at him, blushing. Allen laughed. "You are so beautiful…" he said, gently cupping her reddening cheeks in his hands. He leaned in and kissed her, this time adding his tongue. Shion let out a small moan, trying to savor the moment before she started kissing him with her own tongue, not to be outdone.

The kiss continued for a while, growing fierier with every second. Shion ran her fingers through Allen's slightly damp hair. He removed his lips from hers, and she was about to protest before she realized that he had begun to kiss her neck. Another moan spilled from her throat as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"So that's your sweet spot," Allen said, wearing the same mysterious smile as Shion was previously. He kissed her there again, and she gasped. Shion looped her arms around his chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Electric sparks seemed to shoot up her spine. _Exactly…the…same…_ Allen stroked the inside of her thigh, and she gasped again. She took his sensitive earlobe into her mouth and flicked it gently with her tongue.

Allen then began kissing an obscure pattern just above her chest. His eyes opened in surprise as his lips hit the sharp crystal of the necklace.

"Oh, let me get that," Shion said, taking it off. She tossed it aside before Allen continued nibbling at her neck. He opened his mouth on her shoulder and moaned again. Shion moved her hands under his shirt and ran her hands down his chest, feeling just how muscular he was.

"I never knew you were so fit," she choked out.

"You never asked," he said.

Allen put his mouth in the crook of Shion's neck and inhaled slowly. Thunder struck again, this time noticeably louder. Suddenly, Shion's back arched and she let out a loud moan. They looked at each other, panting slightly, faces glinting with sweat.

"Shion, we both know where this is going. Just say no and I'll stop."

"I don't want to stop," Shion answered urgently. Allen nodded and stood up, followed by Shion. "Wait one second," she said, walking towards the mantle. "Goodbye, Kevin…" she said, turning their engagement picture face-down. She walked back over to Allen, who picked her up and started walking towards the bedroom.

Meanwhile, at Moby Dick's Café, chaos felt a tremor in his chest. His hand flew to his heart and he grinned. "So it begins…" he muttered to himself.

Wilhelm's office on the Dammerung was quiet, all except for some Bach playing quietly in the background. The Compass of Order was spinning faster than usual. Wilhelm sat at his desk, also clutching his chest, laughing to himself. "Indeed it does, Yeshua…indeed it does."

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Morning came lazily and quietly the next day on Second Miltia. The sunlight shone through the window of Shion's bedroom. It crept across the bed, illuminating the bodies laying close together on it.

"Mmm…" The woman's green eyes fluttered open. She shifted her weight and nuzzled her cheek against her partner's bare chest. The man pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Good morning, Shion," Allen said, beaming down at her.

"Good morning." Shion smiled sleepily before stifling a yawn. Allen stroked her hack lovingly as she kissed him. "What time is it?"

"Around 8:30," he replied.

"Mmm…perfect time to wake up."

"Hey, I was wondering," Allen said. "Was that just for last night, or are we…you know…together now?"

"I would think that we were together," Shion replied, laughing.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you said that."

"I know."

They both laughed, and Allen kissed her again, and then stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Shion asked, sitting up and pulling the sheets over her naked body.

"I was thinking that I would go to Headquarters early and check up on KOS-MOS. You've been through a lot lately…you can relax. Then maybe, once you get there, we could go to the analyzing of Momo's subconscious domain. She could use some support," he said, putting on his pants. (Which were recklessly strewn about on the floor, along with some other clothing items)

"Oh, okay. Good idea," Shion said.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going. See you in a little while," he said, kissing her one last time.

"Bye!"

Just as Allen was heading out of her bedroom, he turned around and said, "Hey, maybe we could go to dinner after Momo's finished."

"I'd love that," Shion said. She was sure that she was blushing. He smiled and waved before walking out the door. Shion put a hand on her cheek and beamed. She had it bad, and she knew it.

_Hm…I'd better get ready._ Shion stood up and put on some undergarments. (**A/N: **...For lack of better word) She walked over to her closet and pulled out a Vector uniform, grimacing at the usual color of gold and purple.

Then, in the back of her closet, something caught her eye. Something colorful, something…_red_.

_It's also nice to see you in normal clothes. _Allen's voice echoed in her head. She reached for the red material to see that it was a tank top. She held up the Vector uniform and the tank top and debated for a few seconds, only to cast the uniform aside and slip the more colorful piece over her head.

_Pants…_ she thought to herself, _now I need pants. _She started rummaging around in the back of her closet. A few moments later, she pulled out a pair of beige ankle-length slacks and slipped them on.

Shion walked over to her mirror and looked at herself. She grinned as she saw how awesome she looked. _There's something missing…I know!_ Shion walked back over to her closet and pulled out a jacket. Its sleeves had long pieces of material that fluttered behind her as she moved. She had only worn it once, to a Vector party. She put it on over the red top.

_Um, I like your hair. It looks nice when it's down like that. _

"Hm…"

Shion ran a brush through her hair, and then studied herself in the mirror. "Ah! I got it!" Shion clipped her hair in the back, letting the bottom sweep over her shoulders. She smiled, pleased at her appearance.

Last, but definitely not least, she put on the earring Allen gave her the night before.

Shion walked out into the kitchen to see her brother eating some toast and tea. "Good morning, Jin!" she said in a cheerful tone. She quickly got angry when she heard his response.

"Ah, there's my little sister, the screamer. Glad you two finally woke up. I just saw Allen leaving," he said.

"Just when did you and chaos get back last night?" she asked him angrily.

"In enough time to hear a lot of moaning, moaning, and more moaning, then the two of you crying out each other's names in ecstasy," Jin stated matter-of-factly. "Neither chaos or I could sleep."

"Speaking of chaos, where is he?"

"He's finally asleep. You two kept us up until way past 3."

"Whatever."

"So, you two had a nice night, I take it?" Jin asked. Shion remained silent, blushing. "I'll take that as a yes. You two _did_ use protection, right?"

"Of course we did, Jin." Shion smiled, trying to contain laughter. "My M.W.S. was in the closet…"

"…Shion, haven't I taught you anything? It was stupid not to use protection. I mean, you could get pregn-"

"Jin, shut up! What are the chances?" Shion said, infuriated. "This is my life, and I can make my own choices!"

"Fine. Don't come crying to me when you discover that I'm right." Shion scoffed at him.

Just then, chaos walked out of the hallway, yawning. He was completely dressed and ready to go. "Hey, guys. Good morning," he said. "Well, I'm meeting Jr.soon. I'm gonna get going."

"I'll start out too," Shion said. "I'm meeting Allen at Vector, and then we're going to Momo's analyzing."

Shion and chaos walked out the door. "You look so different when you're not in your uniform," chaos said.

"Oh, does it look bad on me?" Shion asked, concerned.

"No. You look great." chaos laughed. "And you're glowing. I guess what happened between you and Allen last night wasn't just a dream." Shion's cheeks burned red.

"Well…I'm, uh, gonna get going…I have to meet Allen at Headquarters…" Shion smiled and waved at chaos.

"See you later, lover girl!" he responded, waving. Shion rolled her eyes at him. "Just kidding!"

Shion stepped into Vector Second R and D division and looked around. Some of the workers smiled at waved at her, and she waved back. She made her way over to the pod in the middle of the room, where KOS-MOS was sleeping.

"KOS-MOS..." Shion said, looking at the motionless android, "you're like the daughter..."

_"Kevin, I think there's something wrong!"_

_"Dinah!"_

"...I never had..." she said, her voice dripping with sadness.

"Shi-on!" cried a female voice from her right. Shion looked to see 100 pounds of Miyuki Itsumi flying towards her. "I'm so glad you're finally baaaaaack!" Miyuki said, enveloping her is a hug.

Shion's expression quickly changed back to the goofy grin she had been wearing all day. "Hey, Miyuki. What's up?"

Miyuki studied Shion's face for a moment before developing a smirk on her own. "Okay, who is it this time? It couldn't have been Togashi, since he was with me last night..." Her eyes widened as she clapped a hand to her mouth. "I did **not** just say that, alright? I didn't say a thing!"

"Miyuki, what are you talking about?" Shion said, blushing.

"Ah, please. I know you better than you think. You were wearing that same look on your face after your first time with Chief Kevin."

Shion sighed. "Well, you got me."

"Who is it? Tell me tell me tell me!"

"Fine, fine! Relax for a second! Alright, the person is," Shion's voice got considerably quieter. "Allen."

"ALLEN?" Miyuki cried. Everyone in the room fell silent and stared at the two of them. Shion put her hand on her forehead.

"Miyuki..." Shion sighed, "Can you be any louder?"

"How did it happen? I need to know these things!"

Shion blinked. "Well, Miyuki, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they lie close together under the sheets and-"

"Dah!" Miyuki threw her hands over her head. "Not like _that_! I mean, how did you two get to that point?"

"Well, we said that we loved each other, and it just seemed so right."

"Awww! You and Allen! On a rainy night! How romantic!" Miyuki crooned.

"Did somebody say my name?" Allen walked over from behind Miyuki. He saw Shion, and his jaw dropped. "You look absolutely beautiful." he said.

"Thanks, I've been working on my look!" Miyuki said happily.

"...not you," Allen said.

"Hey," Shion said, walking towards Allen. She pressed a quick kiss against his cheek. Miyuki was grinning from ear to ear, looking as if she was going to explode.

"You ready to go?" Allen asked. "I'm having KOS-MOS's digital self transferred to the UMN building in case something goes wrong."

"Great thinking!"

"Yeah, sweetie pie lovey-dovey!" Miyuki said. Shion and Allen raised their eyebrows at her.

"Miyuki, do us all a favor. No more caffeine. Ever," Allen said.

"Let's go," said Shion.

Allen and Shion were on their way out. Miyuki stood up on a chair and cried, "Come on, show us a kiss! You know you want to!"

Shion smirked at Allen, as if to say "let's give them a show." Allen nodded, also wearing a mysterious grin. Allen wrapped his arms around Shion's waist and drew her in close. He pressed his lips against hers in a deep, passionate kiss. All of the employees stood dumbfounded, staring at them. They stopped kissing and Shion winked at Miyuki.

"YEAH! WOO-HOO! GO SHION!" Miyuki cheered. "TAKE A COLD SHOWER, YOU TWO, THAT WAS HOT!"

"Shut **up**!" yelled one of the employees from behind. He threw his connection gear at Miyuki.

"Eep!" Miyuki quickly dodged the flying device. It clattered to the tile floor in front of her. She stared at it for a moment before turning around to face the man who threw it.

"What the hell was that for? You could have hit me!" she screamed, shaking her fist at him.

"You're ruining their moment!" the man replied. Shion and Allen laughed before walking out of the building, Allen's arm around Shion's waist.

A/N: Knock knock

Who's there?

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't make this chapter a lemon?

Haaa...anyways...

Thank God I finally posted this story. I've had this idea since April 1st, and it took me until now to type it...I'm suck a procrastinator...-Melts-

What will happen at the Y-DATA analyzing? Was Jin right? Why did I make somebody throw their connection gear at Miyuki? What noise does a llama make? What does Jin like on his toast?Who is this mysterious "Dinah" person? I know because I'm the author! You're gonna have to keep reading to find out! Please review!

Until next time, this is the Rox, signing off!


	2. Artificial

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm so glad you all liked it :D**

**NeoChick: Yeah, if I'm typing the majority of it at 3 in the morning, it's gonna have some errors. I explained that one big mistake at Xenolegacy…LOL thanks for the review, you ShionxGaignun freak**

**Not much changes in this chapter.**

**Neo! Come and do my disclaimer!**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox does not own Xenosaga. No one can own Xenosaga. It doesn't exist. None of this exists. It isn't real. Nor does she own the rights to lyrics from The Matrix Revolutions. The movie where I die. That sucked. Trin died too. Everyone died. Except Niobe and Morpheus. Boooooty call! Well, anyways, the lyrics are the property of Don Davis.**

**Ain't he cute! –Hugs Neo-**

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**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 2: Artificial**

Gaignun, Jr., Ziggy and Momo stood in the UMN Control Center, waiting for Momo's analysis to begin. Momo was wearing a new outfit, a beret perched on top of her head. She hadn't noticed that Jr. was staring at her with an expression of longing on his face.

"She should be arriving soon…Jr.? Are you even listening to me?" Gaignun said, looking at his brother. Jr. quickly snapped out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said.

"Who's coming?" Ziggy asked.

"Juli Mizrahi, from the Contact Subcommittee," Gaignun replied.

As if on cue, the door opened and Juli Mizrahi stepped into the room. Momo let out a small gasp.

"Mommy!" she exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement.

"It's been awhile," Juli said, "It's nice to see all of you again."

"You're looking well, as always," Gaignun said, nodding at Juli. She gave him what looked like a half-smile.

"Allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire Subcommittee. We're very grateful for your help during the Proto Merkabah incident," she said. Ziggy quickly glanced at Momo and then looked at Juli.

"We couldn't have done it without Momo. She was immensely helpful," he said, placing his hand on Momo's shoulder.

"Ah. Thank you for your support, Momo," Juli said. Momo beamed and started to walk over to her. Juli suddenly started walking towards Jr. and Gaignun, passing right by Momo. Momo looked over her shoulder, tears starting to form in her eyes. _Why does Mommy act like that?_

"I'd like to organize the data. If you could prepare a room for me, I'd appreciate it."

"…gladly," Jr. said flatly. He sighed and looked at Momo. She looked as if she just had her heart ripped out and stomped on with a pair of soccer cleats. He had the strongest urge to lash out at Juli.

_Jr., don't. Not now. _Gaignun said over their mental link.

_Yeah, yeah, I know. It just makes me so mad!_

_Please, try to contain yourself. For all our sakes._

_Fine. _Jr. rolled his eyes.

Juli took a deep breath. "Momo?"

"Yes?" the young realian said, her voice suddenly brighter.

"It would be nice if we could live together once things settle down," she said. Juli and Jr. then left the scene. Ziggy put his hand on Momo's shoulder.

"Momo, that's great," he said, even though he knew that Juli saying that was just an act.

"Uh huh!" Momo replied happily.

"Momo?" said a voice from behind them. They all turned around to see Shelley, clad in a purple dress. "Please, come this way. The analysis is about to begin."

"Okay!" Momo, Ziggy, and Gaignun followed Shelley into the analysis room.

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"Oh man, I'm so late…" chaos jogged into the building and stepped onto the elevator. After it had ascended to the floor above, he scanned the room for any sign of his comrades. "They must already gone into the analysis room. I should have woken up earlier…if only those two hadn't kept me up all night…" chaos started towards the analysis room, when he heard voices in the room across from him.

"Doctor, what was that about?" said one voice. chaos pressed his ear against the door to listen. _Is that Jr.?_

"What?" said a female's voice. chaos identified it as Juli Mizrahi's.

"You know what I mean," Jr. sounded annoyed. "Acting so nice to Momo all of a sudden? Does that ring a bell?"

"Did it sound like an act?"

"Yep, pretty much."

In the room, Jr. was speaking to Juli. She was collecting data from a terminal. "Look, I know Joachim created that realian to be stimulated by familial warmth," she said matter-of-factly, "Fulfilling that is a necessary part of my job to make sure the operation goes as planned."

"Pssh, I should have known…" Jr. groaned. Juli started towards the door. "You know, pretending to be cold and emotionless will only hurt you in the end," he said sincerely.

Juli turned to face him, her hands trembling. "That realian was created by Joachim," she said, her voice shaky, "and frankly, that scares me."

Jr. shook his head. "See here, I don't know what kind of person Joachim was. I don't know what he was thinking when he created the 100-series realians. All I know is that I'm going to treat Momo like a real girl."

"Why would you do that?" Juli asked. "You're only going to end up giving her false hope."

"I made a promise to Sakura," he said, yawning.

"A promise?" Juli asked. "What sort of promise?" Jr. just ignored her. "Tell me, Rubedo," she said.

"I go by Gaignun Jr. now," he said, rolling his eyes. "I promised Sakura that I would look after her mother and little sister." Juli stared at him for a few moments.

"Please, Doctor, I'd like to see you smile again," he said softly. "I'm sure Sakura would want that too.

_I have to see this…_ chaos came through to door to see Juli and Jr. looking at each other. She flashed Jr. an upset look before exiting the room. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" he asked.

"Oh, no. Nothing like that," Jr. said. "Tell me, how's Shion? She seemed really sad at dinner last night."

"Oh, she's doing fine. I tell you, it was an awkward relationship at first, but they're growing on each other," chaos said vaguely.

"Who, Shion and Jin? That's good," Jr. said in a satisfied tone. chaos smirked at him.

"What?"

"Oh, you'll see…" chaos said.

"Whatever," Jr. cracked his neck.

"Well, it looks like there's still time before the analysis begins," chaos said, glancing at the clock. "Where's everyone else?"

"Momo is getting prepared, Shelley and Mary are helping her…Gaignun is probably hanging out with the 100-series who will be operating the analysis…and Ziggy…uh…I think Ziggy is getting his body repaired before Momo's gig," Jr. replied.

"Let's go check on Ziggy," chaos said. Jr. nodded and led chaos towards the maintenance room.

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"_How do you feel?"_ a female voice asked gently from above him. Ziggy slowly opened his eyes, almost jolting straight into a standing position when he saw Juli Mizrahi looking down at him.

"D-Dr. Mizrahi?"

"Momo asked me to do it," she said, some resentment in her voice. "She said 'Mommy, you're a famous scientist, so you must know all about cybernetic engineering.'"

"Ah, I'd prefer-" Ziggy said, beginning to feel flustered.

"I'm not a young woman," Juli said, cutting him off. "Don't let it bother you." She began walking towards the computer terminal. "A famous scientist? Hmph, maybe infamous would better describe me," she sighed.

Ziggy blinked. "You seem unsettled when you're around Momo…why is that?"

After a brief pause, Juli said, "Could you love someone who looked like your child, but wasn't?"

"That's a…difficult question," he replied.

"Creating something to look like my daughter won't bring her soul back…" she said, her voice distant. "And with all of her clones scattered through the entire star cluster…I'm constantly reminded of her death…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at the floor.

"Was it…your husband's idea to make them look like her?"

"…Yes…" Juli turned to face him. There was another awkward pause. "Do you have any children?" she asked him.

"Yes. A son," Ziggy replied, memories coming back to him. "He was a healthy, intelligent boy…I lost him in an accident."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Juli said. "Is that…is that why you committed suicide?"

"Yes, it is," he responded bluntly.

"I should have done the same when I lost Sakura…but instead of grief, I was filled with anger towards my husband." Ziggy shook his head.

"Don't say that…you have too promising a life to commit suicide," he said.

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't hear what you said."

"Oh. Never mind," he stammered. "Here's an idea. Why don't you pretend you had two daughters?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, moving a bit closer to him.

"One that passed away, and one that's still alive."

Juli blinked, her face a mere two inches away from Ziggy's. "So, you're saying that I should treat Momo like a real daughter instead of just one of Sakura's copies?" she asked quietly.

"Please consider it. For Momo's sake."

"I'll…I'll think about it. I'd better get going…" she said. Her face lingered close to his for a short moment before she straightened and strode towards the door.

"Thank you…for the maintenance," Ziggy called after her.

"You're welcome." Juli left the room. Ziggy stood from his chair and checked his mechanical left arm and spun his hand twice. He let out a small sigh.

"Alright, you two can come in now," he said, pressing the button for the door to open. Jr. and chaos stumbled into the room and fell into a heap on the floor, as if they had been leaning against the door, straining to hear the conversation. That was exactly what they were doing. "Jr., I thought I told you that eavesdropping isn't very admirable."

"Hey! We weren't doing it on purpose!" he cried.

"Yes we were," chaos murmured to the redhead. "Ow!" he cried as Jr.'s elbow crashed into his ribcage.

"Anyway…I gotta say, old man, you sure are full of surprises," the little firebrand said.

"What do you mean? I'm sorry, I'm not following what you're saying," Ziggy said defensively.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't deny it, old man," Jr. replied.

"Isn't the analysis about to begin? We can't waste our time here," the cyborg said.

"Oh crap, we'd better get back!" Jr. smacked himself in the forehead with his hand.

"But…Shion and Allen aren't here yet," said chaos. Suddenly, a soft giggle came from behind them. The corners of chaos's mouth curled up into a grin. "Never mind."

"Hehe, cut it out! Everyone will see!" the voice said before giggling again.

"So?" said another voice. This one sounded male. The giggling continued as Ziggy, Jr., and chaos all turned around slowly.

"H-holy Jesus! Wh-what the?" Jr. cried. His jaw almost fell to the floor when he saw Shion and Allen standing on the elevator, their lips locked together in a fiery kiss. Jr. opened his mouth to say something, but all he could do was point at them, mouth open, his bright blue eyes wide with terror. Shion quickly broke the kiss at the sound of his voice.

"Oh! Uh…did the elevator already stop?" she asked, blushing redder than an apple. "We didn't notice…"

"Hey guys," chaos greeted them, smiling. "Taking advantage of every moment, I see?" he said jokingly.

"You know it," Allen said, shaking chaos's hand.

"Well, well, well," Jr. said a mischievous sneer on his face. "Look at these two lovebirds."

"You two must have really bonded," Ziggy said.

"Well…yeah…I _guess_ you could say that…" Shion said.

"What, it's not like you two got busy or anything!" Jr. exclaimed. Allen blinked at Jr. and Shion let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh, this is kind of awkward…" Allen said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Immediately, Jr.'s expression changed back into the one he was wearing whenever he first saw Shion and Allen kissing. He pointed at them, his mouth and eyes wide open.

"Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-" he tried to stammer something out.

"I think what he's trying to say it that he is very happy for you two," Ziggy said, glaring at Jr. Jr.'s expression remained unchanged. "We are very happy as well."

"Thanks," Shion said, beaming. "Hey, has the analysis begun yet?"

"Not quite. Shelley and Mary are still getting Momo prepared," Ziggy said, glancing over his shoulder. "I think they'll be done soon, though. We'd better get moving."

"Yes, let's," Shion said. Allen, Ziggy, Shion, and chaos started towards the analysis room, but Jr. remained behind. Rooted to the spot, he was pointing at staring at the place where Shion and Allen had just been standing. Finally, he managed to utter:

"That is just **_creepy_**!" He looked around frantically, noticing that his friends had left him behind. "Hey! Wait for me!" he cried, running after them.

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"Come on, let's go in!" Jr. said, after he had caught up with the rest of the group just outside of the analysis room.

"I apologize for the wait," said the employee in front of the door, "Preparations for the analysis are now complete. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes," chaos replied.

"Then please, go in."

The room was divided into two levels. Momo and Mary were in the bottom level, which was a big open area where Momo would be tested. The upper level was a covered balcony overlooking the bottom level. That's where the control terminals were located. Jr., chaos, Shion, and Allen stood in the upper level looking down at Momo. Ziggy was standing on the staircase leading below.

"I'm going to go down there with Momo," Ziggy said.

"Good idea," chaos answered.

Ziggy proceeded down the staircase and waved to Momo. She waved back with a wide smile.

"Just try and relax, okay, Momo?" said the blonde with the Texan accent. "This is just the initial preparation for the analysis."

"Thank you. I'll do my best," she replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She looked at Ziggy and giggled. "You know, I'm a self-adjusting model. I've never had maintenance like this before. So, I guess this is what it feels like when you do it, Ziggy?" she asked the cyborg. Her feet left the ground as a blue energy field surrounded her.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of," Ziggy reassured her. Momo nodded at him before closing her eyes and looking straight forward.

Meanwhile, up in the control room, Jr. stood staring intently at Momo. The blue light illuminated her soft, graceful features and beautiful amber eyes. As he pressed his face up against the glass, he couldn't help but imagine that he was pressing his face against hers.

"Little Master? What are you doing?" Jr. snapped back to attention to see Shelley standing behind him, studying at him with an odd look on her face.

"Oh! Uh…nothing! Nothing at all!" Jr. responded apprehensively. His face turned the color of his hair as he saw the mark his lips had left on the glass. "Damn…" Using his sleeve, he quickly wiped the glass clean.

Jr. turned around, jaw clenched, still red in the face. He was greeted by the image of Allen, his hands on Shion's hips, whispering something in her ear. Shion blushed a bit and smiled before pressing a quick kiss against his lips. _Christ…can't those two get a room?_ Jr. thought angrily to himself.

_Jealous, Jr.?_ asked the voice of his brother over the mental link.

Jr. began blushing again as he saw Gaignun, standing on the other side of the room, smirking at him. _No way! _Jr. replied angrily. _Why would I be jealous? I mean, who would I possibly want to do that with?_

_Whatever…_Gaignun responded, shrugging.

The truth was, Jr. did want what Shion and Allen had. Just not with Shion. Or Allen, for that matter. Jr.'s face contorted into an expression of pure terror at the thought of him and Allen doing that. Suddenly, he had an idea.

Casually, he walked up to Shion and Allen and deliberately stood between them. "Nice day, huh?" he asked nonchalantly. "So, Allen, you hit a home run last night? First, second, third, going, going, **_gone_**!" he yelled, jumping up and down. Shion and Allen both blushed. "Aw, I'm just kidding with you guys," he said. "Just remember, Momo's down there…" he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "We don't want her seeing anything she's not old enough to see yet," the redhead stated, laughing. He walked back over to the window and stared at Momo again.

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Suddenly, in the analysis room, Momo let out a loud gasp. "Momo, what is it?" Mary asked. She pointed to the room where everyone else was. "What is it?" Ziggy asked her again.

"Shion and Allen! They…_kissed_!" Momo exclaimed happily, her eyes bright with glee.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you. They're together now," Ziggy told her.

"Shion and Allen? Together?" Mary asked loudly, her obnoxious accent almost deafening everyone. "I can't believe the wimp told her how he feels!" she proclaimed happily.

"Momo, we will be shutting down your artificial personality layer during the analysis. Your artificial emotion and abstract cognitive functions will temporarily cease to function, but please do not be alarmed," said one of the mass-produced 100-series from the control room above.

"Artificial…emotion?" Momo's voice was confused. She placed both hands on her heart.

"Since your artificial personality is an option for interpersonal interaction, this procedure will have no effect on your observational functions," the 100-series replied.

_My heart is just…an optional function?_ Momo wondered, sadly.

"Momo…" said Ziggy, walking closer to her and outstretching his hand. Momo moved her hand towards his until the only thing blocking each other was the blue light around Momo.

"Personality sleep mode active. Shutting down," said another 100-series. Momo looked straight forwards, a blank look on her face. Ziggy suddenly felt very upset. Did he care for this realian like a daughter?

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Meanwhile, Helmer entered the control room. Gaignun nodded in recognition as everyone else waved to him. "Hello, everyone. How's it going?" asked Helmer.

"They're having a pretty hard time preparing for Momo's analysis. As is the protection on her wasn't complex enough, some of her routes were damaged in that last hacking attempt," Mary said over the intercom.

"So her personality layer is deactivated. I see," Jr. said, trying to hide the hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah, it's kinda painful, like we're doing something terrible to her. It reminds me of when Shelley and I were on Old Miltia, kept on constant meds. I felt totally empty inside then. I really hated it," Mary stated unhappily.

"Yes…" Shelley agreed somberly.

"We humans might be shameless at times, but that's still how we feel," said Mary. "I think if someone told me that my heart was just a fake, I'd really be hurt."

There was a brief pause before Jr. spoke. "Even our hearts…even our hearts may be nothing more than playthings created by god…" Jr. started to walk away.

"Little Master, where are you going? Don't you want to be here with Momo?" Shelley asked him.

"I-I can't watch," Jr. said in a small, scared voice. "I'm scared…"

"Jr…." Gaignun said.

"I'm a…coward!" Jr. said before tearing away from the room, tears streaming from his liquid blue eyes, the end of his cloak fluttering behind him.

One of the 100-series announced the analysis of Momo and the countdown process. "Just a little more, okay Momo?" said Mary, concern apparent in her voice. "After this is over, we'll all go someplace really fun."

"Final barrier decode pattern decrypted. Initiating complete protection removal…" one of the 100-series announced. As her announcements continued, Mary looked at Momo.

"Momo!" Mary said in a shocked tone of voice. Suddenly, holographic monitors of Momo appeared all over the control room.

"S…top…" Momo choked out.

chaos, Gaignun, Helmer, Shion, and Allen all gasped. Juli Mizrahi, Ziggy, and the rest of the staff all looked stunned at the sight before them.

"Momo! What is it? What are you trying to say?" Mary asked frantically.

"It's…a…tr…ap…" Momo managed to say with some difficulty. The blue light around Momo turned red. Suddenly, the 100-series seated next to Shelley fell over dead. Shelley only stared in shock. Another 100-series across the room also fell over. And another, and another. The monitors that showed Momo changed to red.

"This can't…" Juli said, her voice cracking.

"Interference is manifesting from unobservable space," said one of the male employees.

"Barrier logic destruction, 68. Emergency cutoff!" cried one of the female members of the staff. She his a few buttons on her terminal's keypad. "Cutoff refused! A terminal has been opened to the U.M.N. network. Unable to determine the intrusion route!"

A male staff member then said, "Multiple axon connections advancing within the subconscious domain. A large-scale holographic network is being established!" Juli let out a loud gasp.

"Dr. Mizrahi! What's happening?" asked Ziggy from the staircase. He quickly walked up the remaining stairs and stood next to Juli.

"No wonder we didn't find anything, we were analyzing each system separately," she said frenetically. "Each layer itself is a low-resolution fragment, like scattered bits of memories. It's only when they all become active at once that the whole image comes together. Joachim's pulled off a grand tromp l'oeil!" She turned to one of the staff members. "Try the cutoff again!" she cried before saying, "Reestablish defensive logic against the internal hack attempt!" at another employee.

"Right! Attempting to restart defensive logic! Denied!"

"Momo!" Ziggy and Mary cried at the same time.

"I'm…sorry…I…didn't know…" the pink haired realian said.

Then, a horrible revelation washed over Gaignun. "No! This is…" he said.

Juli shook her head in despair. "There's a self-expanding trap in there. This isn't one of Joachim's designs. It's something recent-probably planted during the intrusion of the Song of Nephilim."

"This is…this is Albedo's work!" said Gaignun.

"20 seconds to defense logic failure!" shouted one of the employees. Juli pushed her out of the seat and sat down. "We're running the risk of complete data leakage!" she cried.

Juli began to put initiate some commands on the terminal. "Dr. Mizrahi, what are you doing?" asked Ziggy.

"I'm using the emergency control code and destroying the data," she replied.

"You can't! If you do that, Momo will..."

"You have a better idea? We cannot allow the Y-Data to fall into the enemy's hand, under any circumstance!" she demanded.

"Dr. Mizrahi!" Juli stopped, her finger hovering just above a big red button.

"Momo…" she said regretfully. She pulled her hand away from the button.

"Dr. Mizrahi! The holographic network has begun to disrupt! The expanded data is disappearing!" said one of the employees.

"What? But I didn't…" Juli said, confused. The word "WARNING" in large white letters flashed from the red holographic screens.

"What's going on?" Ziggy inquired.

"It's MOMO. She's cutting her own neural pathways, to disperse her memory! She's destroying her own mind to protect the data that Joachim entrusted to her…" Juli said. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

"What?" Ziggy said.

"This isn't good…" chaos muttered.

"Oh my…" Shion stared at Momo as her green eyes widened with fear for her friend. Allen embraced her and began softly stroking her hair. He whispered some reassuring words to her, although his voice was unsure. Gaignun was glaring into space, his teeth bared.

"Momo!" cried Juli. The red field around Momo let out a bright light, and then the realian fell to the motionless to the ground. Juli and Ziggy hurried down the staircase.

"The 100-series prototype has shut down!" yelled Mary, horror stricken. Suddenly, the familiar face of a white-haired U.R.T.V. appeared on the warning screens.

"So…I trust you like my gift?" he said in the voice that puts a shiver down your spine.

"Albedo!" Gaignun snarled, his luminous green eyes glinting with fury.

Looks like ma peche managed to protect Mizrahi's legacy with her own body. How very brave," Albedo crooned mockingly. "However, no matter how charming, in the end she's nothing more than a puppet. A puppet waiting for a miracle to make her human, believing all of Mizrahi's rubbish..."

"A puppet?" Shion said angrily, breaking from Allen's embrace. Albedo threw his head back and let out a victorious, maniacal laugh. Down in the analysis room, Juli began giving Momo CPR, desperately trying to revive her.

"Dr. Mizrahi, is she-" Ziggy began to say.

"It's all right. I won't let her die. Injecting nanounit restoration," Juli said. Ziggy could have sworn he saw a tear running down her cheek. "Ready twelve-device-activator." Mary nodded quickly and ran to fetch it.

_A trail of blood was on the ground; a child's show resting on top of it…a mysterious man in a black cloak was standing next to the blood…_ Ziggy snapped back to reality as Juli continued trying to revive Momo.

Juli stopped for a moment to look at Ziggy with red-brimmed eyes. "This time…I will save her. I swear it!"

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Jr. came tearing into the control room. He fell to a heap in the ground, panting heavily. "I heard the alarms. What's going on?" he demanded.

"Momo…she shut herself down to protect what her father entrusted to her…" Allen said quietly. Jr.'s lower lip trembled as his eyes grew wide again.

"Is there anything we can do about it?" asked Jr. trying to keep his voice strong.

"Her basic functions have recovered. Though she avoided death, her neural network, the rough equivalent of her brain, has been completely shattered to pieces," stated Helmer. He turned to Shion and Allen. "We need the expertise of Vector's Third Division if we stand any chance of recovering the Y-Data. This crisis isn't just Second Miltia's problem anymore. On behalf of the entire government, I am hereby requesting your official assistance."

"All this to protect her father's wishes," Shion said, shaking her head. "We would be honored to assist you. Besides, Momo is a close friend of ours."

"I can't even begin to express my gratitude," Helmer said gratefully. "Thank you so much. And now, I must make my leave. Good luck," he said, shaking Gaignun's hand before he left the control room.

"Allen, how about you and I arrange the equipment transfer from Third Division?" Shion asked.

"Of course. No problem," he replied before they also exited the room.

_How…how could this have happened?_ The red haired boy was leaning against the glass window, his head resting on his arm. His body was shaking with half-suppressed sobs. _I failed my promise…I-I couldn't protect Momo…_

"Hey, is he okay?" chaos whispered to Gaignun, pointing to Jr. Gaignun glanced at his older brother, and then slowly approached him. Gaignun outstretched his hand and rested it on Jr.'s shoulder. He knelt down to his level and softly spoke, "She'll be fine. Don't worry. Shion and Allen will make sure everything goes alright."

"Yeah, that is if they aren't too busy staring at each other's asses." Jr. cracked a tiny smile. "I'm fine. This is just bringing back some memories, that's all."

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"What are you talking about? What reason could there possibly be for the Immigrant Fleet to deploy ships to Second Miltia?"

The Federation Parliament Building conference room was dark, despite the monitors showing the faces of different politicians from the government. A monitor appeared next to the one of the man who just spoke. An older man's face was present on it. He was clad in gold and white robes. His yellow eyes stared menacingly at the rest of the monitors.

"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. Once, in this region of space, there existed the great land of Miltia. As you all know, when the unfortunate events occurred fourteen years ago, that land along with mankind's greatest treasure, was sealed away like a cursed past," he said. "That greatest of treasures originally belonged to all of mankind, and we of the Immigrant Fleet had been its caretakers from time immemorial."

"Now wait just a minute. All Zohar activity currently falls under the jurisdiction of the Federation. You aren't trying to monopolize that great treasure for yourselves, now, are you?" insisted the man who had spoken before the elder one.

"We wouldn't dream of it. All I am saying is, there are those who would claim it as their own."

"Are you insinuating that the Miltian government would do such a thing?" asked a different man.

"They have clearly used the events of fourteen years ago to justify their mobilization. To demonstrate that, they have summoned the great evil, Proto Merkabah, in an attempt to reignite the flames of conflict across the galaxy. They intend to take advantage of the chaos of war to use the relic in Old Miltia for their own self-interests. In response to these usurpers, the Miltian government, we propose to reclaim our long standing traditional rights to be the caretakers of the relic," the white-haired male said.

"The incident you speak of was perpetrated by the U-TIC Organization. All accusations against the Miltian government were officially cleared, were they not? I believe there was even evidence provided by Vector."

"Yes. But there are also rumors that Vector is supporting the Miltian government. I wonder just how trustworthy Vector's data really is. Where is the Miltian government's representative now?" said yet another man.

"Where is Representative Helmer? Doesn't he have anything to say in this matter?"

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The Uzuki residence was quiet. A large, dark-skinned man entered through the door to find Jin, sitting at the small table, drinking tea. "It's been a long time, Lieutenant General. Or do you prefer Representative Helmer, of the Second Miltian Parliament?" Jin asked coolly.

"The old way is fine, Captain. It suits me more. Well Captain, aren't you going to ask me why I've come?" asked Helmer.

"I've got a fairly good idea," Jin replied.

"Fine. Then I'll get straight to the point," Helmer nodded. "Captain, I'd like to enlist your services once again," he stated straightforwardly. There was a brief pause, in which both men stared at each other.

"I believe you already know Canaan," the bald man finally spoke.

"Yes. It's been a while."

"The data you entrusted to Canaan... I want to find out the truth it holds."

"That evidence was obtained illegally. It won't stand up in court," Jin stated.

Helmer sighed. "I don't care. If I can just find out who our real enemy is, that'll be more than enough. I want to know, Captain." Jin tilted his head to the side for a moment, thinking.

"Lieutenant General, these days I am but a lowly used bookseller," he said. "I'm not sure I am capable of meeting your expectations." Helmer reached into his pocket and pulled out a connection gear. "This is…" Jin said, confused.

"The truth will surely be of great benefit to you as well." Jin examined the connection gear for a moment.

"Lieutenant General, you must realize that in order to unravel the data that I passed to Canaan, we have to go back there," Jin said, closing his eyes. "I assume you are aware of what that means."

"Yes. The memories on that planet are still powerful," Helmer said. "Still thinking about that night 18 years ago?"

_The teenage boy fell to his knees, pieces of dark hair falling into his eyes. The rain fell hard upon his shoulders as he tossed his head back and screamed, "Guys! Don't leave me behind! Don't leave me here alone!" He began to cry, the rainwater mixing with his tears. He angrily beat the ground with his fists. "I-I've lost everything…everything!" _

Jin shook his head, as if he was trying to knock something out of it.

"Well, I'm well aware of what it means," said Helmer, "and I'm ready for it."

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Back at the Control Center, Shion and Allen walked through the door of the control room, their lips glued together once more. Jr. shook his head scornfully. "You guys are killing me. Truly killing me," he said. "Hey, where's the guy from the Third Division?" Jr. asked, sticking his head out the door to look.

"Normally the Third Division would have sent someone, but we were closer. It's just easier for me to take care of it." Shion shrugged. "Besides, I've already had everything we need transported over. Don't worry; we've got the technical side covered. You can relax."

"Isn't that out of the First Division's jurisdiction?" asked Jr. Shion only ignored him.

"I just hope we don't have a hard time with Third Division later," Allen said.

"Yet you're still here helping," said Gaignun calmly.

"Well, I can't leave it all to her, can I?" he said, putting an arm around her.

"Jr., we want to save Momo too. Or do you think Allen and I aren't reliable enough?" Shion asked Jr.

"No way! Well, I dunno about Allen," Jr. said, smirking to himself, "But I'm glad you're here, Shion."

"Hey! What's that supposed to m-"

"We're short on time. Let's hurry," Jr. said quickly as to cut Allen off.

"Right," Shion said, laughing slightly at Allen's expression.

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Shion, chaos, Ziggy, and Jr. were standing around Momo in the large, open room. Allen was sitting up in the control room, operating the main dive terminal.

"Is everyone ready to dive? Momo's subconscious domain is likely in a highly unstable state. I don't know what dangers you may face, so you should make sure you're well prepared," Allen said over the intercom. "As soon as you're ready, I'll begin the dive. I'll wait here, so just let me know."

"We're ready now," Jr. scoffed.

"Right, I'll commence the dive then," he said, pressing a few buttons on the terminals. "The dive subjects for this operation will be Shion, Jr., chaos and Ziggy. I was telling Shion that I had KOS-MOS' data to be transferred here in case anything goes wrong. I'm sure having her around will be reassuring."

"Oh. My. God," Jr. said, his blue eyes growing large.

"Hm? Something wrong?" asked Allen.

"You said her name!" Jr. pointed at Shion. "You said Shion's name!" he crooned as if Allen was a baby who just said his first word. Allen rolled his eyes.

"Our dive target is MOMO Mizrahi's subconscious domain, which is modeled after Sakura Mizrahi's memories. Like the dive into KOS-MOS' Encephalon, there is a possibility of resonant memory playbacks with those who've closely shared time and space with her," Allen explained.

Jr. stared into the middle of their little circle. "This time, that'd be me," he said blankly.

"Jr.?" Shion said.

"Dr. Mizrahi told me that Sakura suffered from a central nervous system disorder. Did you have contact with her?" Ziggy asked Jr.

"I did. The going theory was that Sakura's symptoms were somehow connected to unusual wave pulse within the U.M.N. She was being attended to at the Yuriev Institute, where her treatment was also a part of the U.R.T.V.s' U.M.N. link training."

"Sakura? Is Sakura the girl MOMO was modeled after?" Shion inquired.

"I'd like to ask you something. What is U-DO, exactly? Why were you U.R.T.V.s created? To fight it?" Ziggy asked.

"Aah! Too many questions!" Jr. grabbed his head. "To answer Shion's question, yes. To answer Ziggy's question," he cleared his throat, "U-DO is the Unus-Mundus Drive Operation system. From the name, it might sound like some U.M.N. control A.I., but that thing was not created by human hands."

"Yes. That thing is positively not an A.I.," Shion said.

"Nothing that simple could have caused a space-time anomaly," chaos spoke.

"Exactly. They just picked the name because it sounded good. At that, they tried to make us believe it, too. They said it was an artificial consciousness within the U.M.N. that was carrying some kind of dangerous waves," Jr. said. "But that was a total lie. Our father, Dmitri Yuriev, knew about it from the start." Jr.'s eyes trailed off to the side as he remembered that fateful night 14 years ago…

_The U.R.T.V.s, or "Designer Children" as some liked to call them, were standing in a circle formation. There was a pit in the middle of the round grating. Albedo grabbed Rubedo's right hand, whimpering quietly. Suddenly, bright reddish light shone from the pit._

"_All right, open spiritual link. All U.R.T.V.s, match your individual waves to mine," said the red-haired one. He looked at his right hand to see his brother holding on for dear life. Rubedo grunted and reached over, forcing Albedo to put his free hand in front of him. "Here it comes," Rubedo said. The U.R.T.V.s began the linking sequence, in which a circle of blue light attached them by their outstretched hands. Waves of purple began shooting from out of the hole, hitting into the U.R.T.V.s' link._

"_I'm scared, Rubedo. Don't let go of my hand!" cried the boy next to Rubedo in a small, frightened voice. He looked at Rubedo like an animal about to bolt._

"_Concentrate, Albedo. Just do it like in training and you'll be fine," Rubedo comforted him. Suddenly, a spark erupted from the light circle. Rubedo's body tensed. He saw something coming out of a planet, completely destroying it. Were those wings…? Rubedo's eyes widened as he realized what it was. "Wh-what the-"_

"_Rubedo?" The boy to the left of him inquired. The boy had bright green eyes and jet black hair. Rubedo slowly began backing up, trying to pull away from Albedo, a horrified expression on his face._

"_Emergency cutoff! Shutting down spiritual link!" Rubedo finally cried. All of the U.R.T.V.s gasped and murmured at him. "I know what I'm doing. Even though we think of them as mental waves, the resulting anti-particle collision with us will be converted directly into thermal energy." A look of anger replaced the look of horror. "Dad knew everything. That bastard!"_

"_The link is complete. We can't stop it," the dark-haired boy stated firmly. Rubedo continued backing up, finally escaping Albedo's grasp._

"_No! Rubedo, don't let go!" the horrified boy cried. Tears welled up in his big amethyst eyes as he desperately grasped Rubedo's hand again._

"_No. I'm cutting the link!"_

"_Don't let go!" Tears were flowing freely down Albedo's cheeks. Rubedo broke free once again._

_Just then, the link died. All of the children stared in horror at the reddish waves that were coming from the pit. Suddenly, one of the blonde ones was hit by a wave. And another. And another. Rubedo and Nigredo dove for cover, but Albedo just stood there, staring at a wave that was lingering over him. He reached his hand up to block it, but it didn't work. The wave hit him, and his scream echoed throughout the entire scene…_

"So what is it?" Ziggy asked, pulling Jr. from his memory.

"Huh? Oh, It's an energy from a higher dimension, an entity that humans couldn't possibly control. It's ironic that we U.R.T.V.s are its anti-existence, and yet we were never told what it really is," he responded.

"U-DO…" Shion murmured quietly to herself.

"Hey guys, everyone put on those red glasses in front of you. They'll pull you into the encephalon," Allen said. Everyone looked down to see glasses that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. One by one, they each put them on their faces. "Alright, the encephalon construction is complete. We can open the interconnection any time now," Allen said.

"Okay, go ahead," Shion said.

"All right everyone, just relax and enjoy the trip. And don't worry, I'm a pro at this," declared Allen.

"He's right," Shion said, glancing at her lover. "We're in good hands."

A small snicker then came from Jr. He was looking down at the ground, a devilish smile on his face. He raised his cerulean eyes to meet Shion's emerald ones. "You would know," he said, smirking. "You had them all over you last night." Jr. then began laughing hysterically, tears running down his cheeks. Everyone glared at him. Once he noticed their menacing stares, he sobered and said, "Oh, come on! She basically set herself up for that one!"

"Can I start the dive _now_?" Allen sighed loudly.

"Yeah. Sure, go ahead, you naughty man," Jr. said. Allen sighed again.

"KOS-MOS data transfer confirmed. Initiating reconstruction," he said. Shion and chaos watched the middle of the circle, looking awesome and Matrix-esque in their red eyewear. "All preparations for direct approach complete." Jr. and Ziggy did the same.

"Alright. Let's go!" Jr. yelled, his voice strong and determined. They all felt the familiar sensation of falling into a large void. Shion closed her eyes and waited for the subconscious domain to load…

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**A/N: This chapter was supposed to be one big part, but I'm going to camp this week, and I wanted to finish it now. Well…yeah! R and R!**


	3. Leaving Him Behind

**Yoooo! Alright, here's chapter 3! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xenosaga…but that would be SOSUPERAWESOMELYCOOL if I did…Oh, and by the way…the Matrix Revolutions lyrics thing pertains to THIS chapter. I forgot to take it off of the disclaimer to chapter 2 –Sweatdrop-**

**Not a lot changes in this chapter either…**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 3: Leaving Him Behind**

When Shion opened her eyes, her and her comrades were standing on a country road. KOS-MOS had now joined them. A small, quiet looking house sat next to them. "Where are we?" asked Ziggy.

"The world inside Momo's subconscious domain. Sakura's inner world," said Jr. Suddenly, Jr. noticed a certain someone sitting on the porch swing. "Momo!" He threwthe gate openand tore into the yard, standing on the ground just below the porch.

"Jr.! Wait! She's-" Shion began to say.

"Momo, you're okay! Hey, can't you hear me? Say something!" Jr. said happily.

"It's no use, Jr. She's not going to answer," Shion said seriously.

"Why not! She's right there in front of us!" Jr. said, disregarding Shion's comment. "Come on, Momo! Say something!" he said, his voice growing higher in desperation.

"Her personality layer is off-line. Plus, her neural network's completely fragmented. She can't understand anything we say. She may not be able to even hear us right now," Shion said. "The Momo you're seeing here is nothing more than a product of her own subconscious. Even if she were able to take some sort of action, it would only be a simple reflex. Momo...Even in her current state, she's still trying so hard to help us."

"No. No. I don't believe you!" Jr. said. He could feel the tears coming. "Dammit!" he muttered to himself. He fell to his knees and bit his lower lip. He had clamped down so hard he could have sworn that he had drawn blood. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

"What are you doing? We don't have much time. So you want to worry Momo even more?" Ziggy said, urging Jr. to move on.

"Yeah. Right…" said Jr., his voice still insecure. "Hold on." Jr. walked up the steps and cautiously approached Momo. "Momo…" He reached out and touched her hand. It was soft in his. "Will you come with us? I'll make sure nothing happens to you…" Momo suddenly stood up. Jr. quickly stepped back, but Momo didn't advance any further. Jr. let a tiny smile show on his face as he gently pulled her hand. She walked next to him, his hand guiding her down the steps.

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The group made their way up the stairs inside the house and into a small bedroom. A little girl was sleeping in the bed in front of them. "Is that…Momo?" Shion asked in a whisper.

"No…" Ziggy said.

"It's Sakura," Jr. said. His eyes seemed to be transfixed on the closet.

"Rubedo…it's all dark," said a high-pitched voice. Everyone but Jr. looked around for the source.

"It's kinda cramped in here," another boy's voice said. This one sounded cool and smooth.

"I know! Just shut up for a second, will ya?" This boy seemed frustrated.

A small whimper was heard from the closet. "I'm scared. Turn the light on!" cried the first voice.

"Cut it out! Quit movin' around so much... Ow!" said the frustrated boy.

Bumping and movement was heard from inside the cabinet. "Quit pushing, stupid!" the calm-voiced boy said. Suddenly, the closet door opened, and Albedo, Rubedo, and Nigredo fell into a heap on the ground on top of each other.

After detangling himself from the pile of limbs, Rubedo said, "What is this place?"

"We must've messed up the connection coordinates," Albedo said, rising from his knees.

"Albedo, you stepped on my foot in there!" cried Rubedo angrily.

"I did not!" Albedo defended himself. "It must have been Nigredo!"

Shion let out a half-sigh, half-laugh before she looked at Jr. "Yep," he said, "That's us, fourteen years ago…"

Rubedo and Albedo started arguing loudly just as Nigredo noticed Sakura. "That girl is our contact target. The coordinates were correct." Sakura woke with a start.

"That girl...she's looking at us?" Albedo said, puzzled. Sakura looked at the three boys, blinking inquisitively.

"I...I'm sorry!" Rubedo said quickly, looking at the ground.

"Ah, you guys," Sakura finally spoke. Rubedo was trying to push both Nigredo and Albedo back into the wardrobe at one time, which wasn't working very well.

"Next time, we'll come in through the door!" he said, blushing.

"Wait!" Sakura cried. Rubedo abruptly quit shoving Albedo and Nigredo, and stepped away from the door. As a result, Albedo and Nigredo fell right on their behinds.

"Huh?" they said simultaneously.

"You guys... you can hear what I'm saying?" The boys nodded. Sakura caught Rubedo's eye, and there was a second's pause. "I'm...I'm so happy you came!" Sakura said, a tear of joy running down her right cheek. Rubedo, Nigredo, and Albedo slowly approached her. Suddenly, the flashback ended. The three boys turned to phantoms and tore down into the front yard.

"Follow them!" Jr. said, taking off after his past self. They all ran after Jr. The phantom three reached the yard, where they stepped into a circle of light. The others followed suit.

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The next thing they knew, they were standing in what seemed to be the dive room of the Yuriev Institute, looking in through a glass window. A younger Juli Mizrahi stood in front of them with Dr. Dmitri Yuriev.

"Dmitri. Are you sure those boys are going to be able to help with Sakura's treatment?" asked Juli.

"I don't believe the condition your daughter suffers from is a mere natural disorder. Therefore, contact with the anti-U-DO waveforms within the U.R.T.V.s will be beneficial for her," said the man.

"Hypersensitivity to the synchronicity of the U.M.N. We never had diseases like that when the universe was still small…" Juli said, her eyes downcast.

A small buzzer was then heard. "U.M.N. dive operation. Phase six complete. U.R.T.V. team commencing dive-out, starting from number 660. Now opening dive-pods," said one of the employees. The dive pods holding the three variants opened, and Rubedo leaped out of his.

"That girl... That girl gave me a message," he said, an excited look on his face. "She said, 'Please tell my mother... Please tell my mother that I love her.' What else... She said, 'I got a seashell treasure box for my birthday last year. If you tell my mother that she'll understand.'"

Juli walked toward Rubedo. "So, the wavelengths matched up…." Yuriev muttered slyly to himself.

"You were able to talk to Sakura?" asked Juli. Rubedo nodded. "So, what's your name?" she asked kindly.

"Rubedo!" he said proudly, before he noticed the Dmitri glaring at him. "Uh...I mean...U.R.T.V. unit number 666," he said quickly.

"Rubedo, please keep telling me things she says, all right?" Juli asked, kneeling down and holding Rubedo's right hand with both of her own.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Rubedo said after a moment's pause.

Through the glass window, Shion stood looking at the two of them. "Mom…" she said sadly, her head at a slight bow. The flashback ended, and the group watched the U.R.T.V. trio walk out the door.

"What is this place, anyway?" Shion asked, a bit perplexed.

"The Yuriev Institute. It's the U.R.T.V. development facility. The place where I was made," Jr. replied.

"It feels strange, like time has stopped. The people here can't see us?" she asked.

"Yeah, looks like it. This place is frozen in time at a point when Sakura was alive," Jr. said. "But why here? How do we save MOMO?"

"It seems that the phantoms of the three of you are the key," Ziggy said. "They look like they're trying to lead us somewhere. Let's follow them."

"Right. Let's go!" Jr. said determinedly.

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The group chased the apparition boys outside into the grounds of the Yuriev Institute and in front of a small house. A flashback ensued, and Jr. saw his past self, peering into the window. A small piano was right inside of it. Sakura was playing the instrument, with Juli as her instructor.

"Sakura…?" Rubedo said quietly. A gentle, beautiful melody lifted from the house as Sakura continued to play. "She…she really _can't_ talk in this world, can she?" he asked.

"That's right. The neural pathways that recognize the outside world and allow her to express herself have been completely severed," Juli responded. "Her electric potential pulse control was determined to be instable, but neither medicine nor nanomachine-based Glilial supplements had any effect."

"It's weird that restoring her membrane electrical potential didn't do anything…" the boy said, carving a circle in the dirt with the toe of his shoe.

"Yes... But now your waveform, the particular wavelength you possess, is making up for her deficiency." Rubedo let a small gasp as he realized that it was up to him to save Sakura's life.

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Suddenly, their surroundings melted around them, and the country house from before appeared. "This is another flashback from the dive…" Jr. said, looking a bit flustered. His eyes were wide and his face was pale. "This…this can't be the day when…" He stopped himself in mid-sentence.

"The day when what? Go on," Ziggy said, but Jr. remained silent.

Rubedo and Sakura were sitting on the porch swing, gently rocking as a pleasant breeze swept across the land. "I hear my dad is researching treatment for me, too. He's making a Realian that's a lot like a human, and he's gonna make it so my senses are always linked up with it. That way, I won't have to make my mom sad anymore," the girl said, looking at the redhead beside her.

"Sakura, you sure have nice parents," he said. A bit of loneliness found its way into his voice as he said that.

"What about you? Your dad is Dr. Yuriev, right? Don't you have a mom?" Sakura asked gently.

Rubedo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we have one. Genetically speaking, anyway," he scoffed. "She had a healthy ovum with a perfect set of chromosomes. That's all we really know about her."

"How come you're not looking for her? Don't you wanna meet her?"

"What's the point? So I can say, 'Hi! You're the mother of a bunch of genetically engineered bioweapons'?" the boy said, angry and upset. Sakura placed her hand on Rubedo's shoulder in a comforting way.

"Don't say that. You're not a weapon," Sakura crooned. "You're a wonderful boy."

"Oh yeah? The only time we can leave the Institute is when there's a war going on," Rubedo said, looking down at the ground. A short pause ensued before Sakura spoke:

"Hey, Rubedo. I have a favor to ask of you." Rubedo looked up at Sakura. "My little sister is gonna be born soon. She's kind of different from a normal sister. I mean, my mom won't be giving birth to her, but..." Sakura explained. "My mother and sister... I want you to look after them for me, okay?"

Suddenly, Rubedo, filled with a new hope, sat up and looked at Sakura, the corners of his mouth starting to turn up into a wide smile. "Okay! If she's your sister, I'll look after her like she was my own!" he said strongly.

"You promise?"

"Of course! Leave it to me-" Rubedo was abruptly cut off by the feeling of Sakura's lips on his right cheek. She quickly stood up and walked towards the front door. She opened it and began to step through before she said, "Good night, Rubedo. See you tomorrow." She walked into the house, and the door closed behind her.

"B-Bye..." Rubedo said after a few seconds. His hand flew to his cheek as he touched the spot where she had kissed him. The skin tingled where they had made contact. Shion looked down and noticed that Jr. was looking at his feet, blushing. The three phantoms appeared again, and they began running back towards the Institute.

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The faction of heroes ran into the courtyard as the boys solidified in front of them. Jr. stopped just short of Gaignun's past self. "God…" he said. He leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees, panting heavily. "We were so energetic!"

Rubedo tossed a harmonica up in the air. The light hit it for a split second, and a bright flash was seen. He caught it and held it up for Nigredo and Albedo to see. "So, you practice along with her piano. If you're that interested in her, why don't you just stay there in virtual space? I'm sure she'd like that, too," Nigredo said sarcastically. Albedo glared at him.

"It's not like that!" Jr. said defensively.

"Your concentration's been slipping lately, Rubedo. It's almost time for our training in the U-DO simulator. You know that, right?" Albedo scorned, rolling his eyes at Rubedo's newfound interest in Sakura.

"Hey, I know all about it. I'm the link master. I'll fulfill the mission," Rubedo said in a cocky tone of voice.

"…I can trust you, right? As long as you're here…I don't have to be afraid of U-DO…right?" Albedo asked, tears starting to form in his big purple eyes.

"Of course! Pull yourself together! We're the variants. Your waveform's way beyond a standard U.R.T.V," Rubedo replied, nodding his head at his brother. Albedo let out a quiet sniffle before tears ran down his cheeks. Nigredo shot Rubedo a dangerous look before he patted Albedo's back softly. Rubedo cursed himself and walked over to Albedo to comfort him.

The trio went transparent once again and ran into the Institute.

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The three ran into an abandoned hallway, followed closely by our heroes. The trifecta of cute little U.R.T.V.s faced a female U.R.T.V. with a looks of awe on their faces. "Please to meet you, number 666 Rubedo. I am U.R.T.V. umber 668. You may call me Citrine," the girl said.

"668? ...I've never seen a female type before!" Rubedo exclaimed.

"Don't be so surprised. The original fertilized eggs had both X and Y stock. I am an X-type, designed to preserve the egg's mtDNA," Citrine said, talking to the boys as if they were inferior beings. "We'd be in trouble if the project hit a dead end with nothing but just you simple Y-types."

"I'd heard there was a girls' ward somewhere," Albedo mumbled.

Nigredo considered staring at Citrine, the look of awe still plastered to his face. "I thought the missing number was dead…" he said distantly.

"It's certainly true that a lot of units were disposed of. Unlike you male types, we have only nine female types remaining. It's a shame because theoretically, we are superior," she said, turning away from her brothers.

"Disposed of? Who do you think you are?" Rubedo said angrily.

Citrine turned to face him. "And just who do you think you are, Rubedo? We aren't normal children, you know. Even if we lost control of our waveform and died, we wouldn't have the luxury of complaining about it."

The three boys again turned into ghosts and ran out of the hallway. "Damn! Here we go again!" Jr. said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

They ended up in the dive room once again. Albedo, Rubedo, and Nigredo were in their pods, as well as a few of the non-variant U.R.T.V.s. The pods of the variants were facing those of the generic types. Albedo glared and bared his teeth at the blondes across from him. "I can't stand them," he said crossly.

"Shhh," Nigredo scolded.

"Just look at them. They don't even have wills of their own. All of them together just form one collective consciousness," Albedo ridiculed them. "Why is everyone up to 665 like that?"

"The standard types have weak anti-waveforms. It's not their fault they were born that way," Rubedo explained.

One of the non-variants turned to look at Albedo. "Eww, yuck." Albedo cringed. The dive signal ring then blared into the room.

"This is not a drill. You will initiate a U.M.N. dive into the subconscious domain of the sleeping patient and repair her sensory impairment," Dr. Yuriev stated. "This mission will also serve as valuable anti-U-DO training for you," he added.

"Your descent target is a white beach. This beach is a subjective image created by the patient that exists below her consciousness. Within it lies whatever is obstructing her neural connection. We want you to identify and eliminate it," Juli told the little soldiers. The variants looked at each other excitedly.

"The beach?" Rubedo exclaimed happily.

"I've never been to the beach!" Albedo said with glee.

"We'll definitely have to go sometime!" Nigredo said.

"All right!" Albedo and Rubedo mouthed silently to each other, pumping their fists in the air. Suddenly, one of the blonde boys from across the row turned his head sharply and glared at Rubedo. The redhead faced him with a spooked look on his face.

"Why? Why are you the leader, number 666?" the bland U.R.T.V. said.

"You're a variant...You're a monster!" said a second one. Rubedo gasped and looked at his palm. The red numbers "666" stared back at him.

"Shut up, you losers! Don't make fun of Rubedo! Your power doesn't even come close to his!" Albedo snarled. The non-variants quickly stopped picking on Rubedo.

"That's enough, Albedo. They're not our enemies," Nigredo said in his cool, calm voice. "It's all right, Rubedo. We both believe in you," he reassured his older brother.

"Dive commencing," an animated voice said. The boys closed their eyes, and both them and the small group of friends were pulled into the Subconscious Domain…

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They ended up on a country lane, next to a gas station. The phantom three were standing close by, discussing the mission. "Our target is the beach. We should reach it if we proceed north through the forest. Let's go!" the leader said. His two younger brothers followed his trail.

"Okay…I guess our target is the beach also! And…uhh…follow them, I guess!" Jr. said before taking off.

The trio led them into a wooded path. It was infested with floating monsters and things that looked like lobsters on steroids, wielding axes. "Uhh…what _are_ these things?" Jr. asked, looking up at the monsters.

"My sensors indicate that these creatures are indeed Gnosis," KOS-MOS stated. "The floating ones are called Expressions. The larger ones are called Necessities."

"Who names these things anyway?" Jr. asked. "Ah, who cares? Let's just kill them!" he whooped happily before shooting a Necessity with his beloved BLOOD9 pistols.

"_I loathe your beauty…"_ A rough voice came from one of the floating menaces.

"_I loathe your strength…"_ another said.

"_I loathe your charm…"_ A third one spoke.

"What the hell is this?" Jr. scoffed. "This is just weird! 'I loathe your beauty'? Probably about Momo. 'I loathe your strength'? KOS-MOS or Ziggy. 'I loathe your charm'? Why, me, of course!" The redhead grinned, seeing another opportunity. "Hey Shion, maybe for you, they'll say, 'I loathe your intimate life'!" Jr. fell on the ground, laughing hysterically.

"Whatever," Shion said.She shot another Expression with an Electro Shot from his newly upgraded M.W.S. A necessity came at her, but the Momo shot it with her bow. It quickly retreated to the woods around them. Ziggy kicked one of the menaces while chaos destroyed an Expression with a blast of aura.

"Overestimated enemy threat," KOS-MOS said, slicing through the remaining gnosis with her R-BLADE. "Shion, my data needs updating."

"Yeah, I'll take care of that later…as soon as **Jr. stops running away without telling us!**" Shion called after Jr., who was halfway down the winding path beyond the wooded area.

"What?" he said. "I know you wanna get back to your love machine, and I want to see what other parts of my past are going to come up!"

"You know, Jr., that's starting to get really annoying," chaos said.

"I agree," said Ziggy.

"Oh, come on! You can take a joke, can't you, Shion?"

"Uh huh." In reality, Shion felt like smacking Jr. in the head with her M.W.S.

They made their way down the path, and they came to a river. "Ah, crap. Now how will we get across?" Jr. said, frustrated. "I am **NOT** swimming."

"I have an idea," chaos said with a smug look on his face. "Shion, shoot that tree over there." Shion shrugged and shot the tree, which fell into the water.

"Ah, now you've killed a tree." Jr. rolled his eyes.

"Watch…" chaos said. The tree floated downstream and stopped when it hit a rock, which made a perfect bridge.

"Wow. Wow. That's handy," Jr. said, pointing at the tree. "Now we're one step closer to saving Momo!" Jr. said enthusiastically. He began crossing the bridge, followed by Shion and the others. "And Shion, you're one step closer to giving Allen some nookie!" he added after a second. Shion had the strongest urge to knock him into the water.

Over another river and across a chasm in the ground our heroes went. They ran until they caught up with the phantom three. The boys came to life in front of them as another flashback began.

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A purple orb floated above the heads of the designer children. The boys stared at it, waiting for something to happen. "So this is...the fear that Sakura holds," Rubedo mumbled. Suddenly, a wave exploded from the orb. It flew towards Rubedo.

"Look out! Behind you!" Nigredo leaped behind Rubedo just before the wave hit him. Nigredo's body absorbed the wave like a sponge, yet nothing happened to him. More waves flew out of the orb, this time headed towards Albedo.

"What is this thing?" he said, nimbly dodging one of the blasts. "Cut it out!" He punted another one away. **(A/N: He would make a good football player!)**

"Let's spread out a psych-link and take care of this." Rubedo nodded to his brothers.

"Rubedo, look!" Nigredo shouted, pointing at the orb. The purple reflected in his green eyes, which were wide with fear. Waves were circling around the orb at an alarming speed.

"The waves-" said one of the non-variants. His voice sounded like he was in a trance. His eyes were transfixed on the ball of light above them. "The waves are coming!" he cried.

"Hey! What are you talking about?" Rubedo demanded. A blast wave went into the first U.R.T.V. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as he slowly changed into a monster. The same thing happened to three of the other non-variants.

"No! Not me too! Get away from me!" the fifth and final blonde screamed. He tried to run away, but he tripped. After the wave hit him, he too changed into a monster.

"They've been infected! But we're not even inside the U-DO simulator!" Albedo said, horror-stricken. Four of the infected boys came charging towards the variants. Rubedo cried out with fear.

"No!" Jr. yelled. He dove in front of his past self and shot the infected U.R.T.V right in the face. The menace shot back and let out a loud cry of pain. "They sound like squirrels…" Jr. said, a bit amused. "Well, that doesn't matter right now. Guys, help me out here!"

Ziggy and KOS-MOS attacked one of the U.R.T.V.s. The monster dodged all of Ziggy's attacks, but ran right into KOS-MOS. Her minigun was out and ready. "I will proceed to eliminate the enemy threat," she said, before pulling the trigger. The U.R.T.V. squeaked and fell over into a puddle of its own blood.

chaos quickly took care of another menace. He powered up his gloves with ether power and blasted a U.R.T.V. with a ball of aura. _It's a good thing that the weakness of these creatures is aura attacks…_When the creature finally keeled to the ground dead, chaos said, "Poor lost soul…may you be reborn again anew!"

"Aaah! Shion, little help over here!" Jr. was engaged in battle with a fiercer, stronger U.R.T.V. He Raised his gun to shoot, but the infected one knocked it out of his hand. "Not good!" Jr. put up his hand in a vain attempt to block an attack.

"Jr.!" Shion cried before she jumped in front of him. She went to fire her M.W.S., but the U.R.T.V. pushed the weapon out of the way, causing her to miss. The U.R.T.V. raised its claws and slashed Shion across the thigh. She let out a loud cry of pain and fell to the ground. Just as the corrupt monster was about to finish her, three arrows flew towards it. All three struck it in the head, and the U.R.T.V. fell over dead. Shion looked behind it to see Momo standing tall, her bow and arrow out and ready.

"Ah, thanks, Momo…" Jr. said, standing up and dusting himself off. He picked up and twirled his pistol, then fired it into an open space to his left. "Yep, still works!" he said proudly.

"Where did the fourth one go?" Ziggy asked, looking around.

"My sensors indicate that the fourth and final infected U.R.T.V. has proceeded to the area just beyond this one," KOS-MOS dictated. "We should eliminate it before it gets any stronger.

"Right. Let's go!" Momo and Ziggy followed KOS-MOS up the path. Shion tried to stand, but the gash in her thigh burned as she moved her leg. She whimpered and fell back onto her knees.

"Are you alright?" chaos said, kneeling down beside her.

"Oh God, it hurts!" Shion cringed.

"Here..." chaos placed his hand on her thigh. (**A/N: Yeah, all you Shionxchaos fans can have a heart attack now…too bad this is to only time he touches her in this story –evil grin-**)

_"Asato ma sad gamaya...tamaso ma jyotir gamaya...mrtyor mamrtam gamaya..." _he muttered. His hand illuminated with ether, but it wasn't the same ether as before. This aura was bluish-green, the same color of his eyes, instead of the usual white._ "From delusion lead me to truth...from darkness lead me to light...from death lead me to immortality."_ Shion closed her eyes as she felt a sudden peace run through her. She could feel the wound healing. When she opened her eyes, she saw chaos, grasping his chest, the hand that was previously on her thigh shaking.

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently.

"Yes, everything's fine," he said quickly. "It's just been a while since I've done that…" But that wasn't the case. _He…he responded to me! But how? He's barely a glimmer yet!_ chaos screamed at himself in his head.

"Well…thank you very much," Shion said, a bit confused. The wound on her thigh was completely gone. No normal ether or med-kit could do that. Med kits burned when you applied them, and regular ether at least left a small scratch…

chaos smiled and stood up. He then followed KOS-MOS and the others away from the scene. "Hehehehhe..." A young voice rang from behind Shion. She turned her head to see Jr. standing over her. "Cheating on Allen already? Tsk tsk..." Shion rolled her eyes before quickly standing up, turning around and kicking Jr...right where it hurts.

"I'll take that back..." he squeaked. Holding the area that ailed him, he limped into the next area. Shion followed him.

"_Shion? Are you alright?"_ Shion's heart fluttered as she heard Allen's voice drift over the communicator. Just hearing him speak helped to relax her. _"Your body here cringed and almost fell over. Is everything okay?"_

"Yeah, everything's fine…just a little scratch," she replied as they stepped into a small clearing.

"_Okay, be careful…you don't know what else could be out there."_

"I'll be fine," she said. "I love you…" she added quickly afterwards.

"Oh! My! God! Guys! Shion just told Allen that she loved him!" Jr. said, bouncing around like a little schoolgirl. "That's so cute!"

"Are you just asking to be killed?" Shion asked Jr.

"_Who, me?"_ Allen's confused voice said from over the communicator.

"No, Jr.," Shion sighed.

"_Oh. Okay. I love you t-" _Allen suddenly stopped talking for a second. _"Holy shit, what is that thing?"_

The last U.R.T.V. crawled from the bushes surrounding the clearing. It stood on its hind legs, and then wavered for a moment. Then, it fell onto its back and it began splitting down the middle.

"What the?" Jr. cried. A look of disgust crossed his face as a new body came out of the skin. chaos stared at the thing, wide eyed.

"That's horrible!" Shion gasped and covered her eyes.

A new body emerged from the skin of the U.R.T.V. This one was larger, and it had horns, and it had larger spikes on its arms. "What is that thing?" Ziggy asked.

"I believe that this is the second form of the infected U.R.T.V. Codename: Level 4," KOS-MOS stated. "This embodiment is stronger and the venom in its claws is more powerful. I advise that we proceed with caution."

"Hundred percent chance of danger? Great probability of death?" Jr. said cockily. He smiled slyly before saying, "Sounds like my kind of battle! Let's go, guys!"

"Wait, Jr.!" Shion cried.

"Come on, you bastard!" Jr. yelled. He picked up a rock and it at the U.R.T.V.'s head. It shrieked angrily and turned to face Jr. "Even though you _are_ my brother, I'm taking you down! Bring it on!"

The infected U.R.T.V. crouched down on all fours and tore towards Jr.

"Yeehaw!" Jr. whooped before giving the Level 4 a bullet in the face. It yelped in pain and jumped backwards as the searing hot lead went into its cheek. The Level 4 glared at Jr., its yellow eyes blinded with rage. It went after Ziggy instead.

"If you feel in danger, stay back!" Ziggy hollered, whacking the menace in the leg with one of his mechanical ones. It screeched, becoming more violent with every passing second.

"Take this!" Shion shot at it with the M.W.S. Momo shot a few arrows, hitting both of its front legs. chaos ran up to it and looked it straight in the eye.

"Sorry…" he said. His eyes glowed bright blue and he lifted up into the air, great blue wings protruding from his back. "Heaven's Wrath!" he cried as an aura of blue went flying towards the U.R.T.V., but the menace barely dodged the attack…although its hind paw was burned away. It flew up in the air next to chaos and slashed across his chest. chaos cried out loudly and fell to the ground, unconscious.

"chaos!" KOS-MOS cried. Her eyes glowed bright blue as she ran forwards, R-BLADE out, and sliced straight through the menace. Everyone stared in disbelief at the two halves of the monster on the ground, twitching. "Someone should attend to him. The poison will set in soon."

"…Wow." Jr. was the only one who spoke at that point. Momo and Shion ran for chaos.

"Please, Momo…use your nanospray, you have to help chaos!" Shion pleaded. Momo looked blankly at Shion, then at chaos. Quickly, she set her hands on chaos's chest as the nanomachines quickly went to work. Shion sighed in relief. "Jr., give us an antidote! Now!" Shion cried. Jr. fished around in the medical bag for an antidote.

"Heads up!" Jr. hollered at her before throwing it to Shion. Shion caught it and quickly poured it in chaos's mouth. Just as Momo finished applying the nanomachines, chaos gasped and sat up, panting.

"Who did _that?_" he asked as soon as he saw the dismembered creature.

"KOS-MOS," Shion said. "When she saw you injured, she…" her voice trailed off as she saw KOS-MOS' eyes return to scarlet.

"Guys! Come here, quick!" Jr. cried, breaking Shion's reverie. They all ran to where Jr. was, to see a young Albedo murdering a standard U.R.T.V….

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"I told you to leave Rubedo alone! Variants aren't monsters! You guys are just weak!" Albedo said, his eyes glinting with insanity. He straddled the nearly unconscious boy, grabbed him by the collar, and beat his head against the ground. He punched him in the face insanely. The boy finally passed out, but Albedo continued beating his head against the dirt.

"Stop it!" Rubedo and Nigredo ran up behind Albedo. Nigredo restrained Albedo as Rubedo quickly pulled the non-variant from beneath him. Rubedo knelt down in front of Albedo and said, "You'll kill him!"

Rubedo glared at his brother as Nigredo pulled him to his feet. "Rubedo..." he said.

Rubedo and Nigredo walked away, and Rubedo turned around and gave Albedo that chilling stare once again.

"Don't look at me like that!" Albedo cried angrily. "Rubedo!" His voice echoed through the entire area.

"I shouldn't have treated him like that," Jr. said sadly. He hung his head as a few teardrops fell to the ground. "He's my brother…"

Suddenly, Jr. felt a soft, gentle hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned to see Momo standing behind him resting her hand on his shoulder blade. For an instant, there was a flicker of emotion in her eyes. "M-Momo?" he said. But as quickly as the reaction has started, it was over.

"Jr., look!" Ziggy said, pointing at the phantom trio, who were running back towards the diveout point.

"Right. Let's roll!"

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They followed the three boys to the park area of the Yuriev Institute. Jr.'s group watched the boys from behind.

Albedo was standing with his back towards his brothers. "What?" he said, looking over his shoulder at them, slightly annoyed.

"What were you thinking?" Rubedo cried angrily. "Number 623's badly injured!"

"Is that what this is all about?" Albedo asked, slightly relieved. "Look, all he's gotta do is just regenerate. What's the problem?"

"Re…generate?" Rubedo tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at his brother, confused. Albedo smiled at Rubedo and raised his hand to his own head. A glowing blue orb began growing around his hand.

"Regenerate…like this!" Albedo released the energy orb from his hand. Rubedo gasped and closed his eyes. He heard blood splattering on the wall beside them. When he opened his eyes, he saw Albedo standing in front of him…but his head was…gone! Instantly, a new head grew on his shoulders. Rubedo could only stare, his hands shaking. Nigredo looked like he was about to vomit.

"See?" Albedo said. He reached around to the back of his head and cracked his neck. "Ah…that's better…" he muttered.

Rubedo clenched his jaw and made a fist with his right hand. "**_You idiot!_**" he screamed before punching Albedo in the jaw, knocking the white-haired boy over. Nigredo quickly grabbed Rubedo's arm, keeping him from punching Albedo again. "Don't you ever pull anything like that again!" he spat. "If you die, you can't come back to life!" Rubedo breathed heavily through grit teeth as his he relaxed his fist. Albedo stared at Rubedo, his purple eyes wide with hurt, touching his aching jaw.

"Y-You mean you can't regenerate?" Albedo asked his brothers.

"Of course not! That's a special ability only you possess!" Rubedo said, still angry.

"O-Only me?" Tears welled up in Albedo's eyes. One by one, they rolled down his check. "You're both gonna die…and leave me behind?" He began crying harder. "No!" Albedo wobbly stood up and ran towards Rubedo. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Rubedo's waist, pressing his face into his older brother's chest. His crying became hysterical as he said, "I don't wanna be alone! If you die, I wanna die too!" He coughed as tears ran down his throat.

"Stop it…" Rubedo wrapped his arms around his brother. He too began crying. "Don't say things like that. You're making me sad too!"

"Rubedo, don't leave me behind…" As they both continued sobbing freely, Nigredo looked at his brothers with sorrow…

Rubedo and Nigredo froze as Albedo turned into a phantom and ran from the scene.

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The group followed Albedo's shadow into the garden area. He solidified and dropped to his knees, digging in the dirt at the foot of the tree. Was he making graves…?

"What is he doing?" Shion asked.

"I don't know, but…ever since that day…ever since Albedo learned he couldn't die, he somehow started to change," Jr. said darkly.

"Really?"

"Nigredo and I…we didn't understand. There was no way we could have understood…" Jr. explained. "We couldn't know what it felt like to have a body that wouldn't die." Albedo continued to dig, his eyes transfixed on the dirt. He blinked away a few tears.

"Death is rest for the soul," Ziggy mused. "Who was it that said that? If the body did not die, and the fears borne in the mind just continued to pile up, the world would be nothing more than an eternal prison."

"KOS-MOS slightly nodded as she glanced at Ziggy. "Old man…" Jr. said.

Jr. turned around, his back facing the rest of the group. "In the beginning, Albedo and I were one," he said. Not wanting to miss another opportunity, he added quickly, "And last night, Shion and Allen were one."

"Hey!" Jr. ignored Shion and continued talking.

"And it wasn't just because we were from the same fertilized egg. He was literally attached to my back from conception until the 28th week." Jr. pointed to his upper back. "His heart was attached right around here."

"What?" Shion asked.

"Occasionally, due to incomplete cell division, twins are born sharing some portion of their internal organs." KOS-MOS blinked.

"That's right. Our special abilities, the power to halt or stimulate cell growth, are both based on the same basic principle. But after we were split apart, our powers headed off in different directions," Jr. stated. "That's why I shouldn't have just abandoned him…" he said quietly, looking at his brother. His purple eyes looked clouded with exhaustion, but he still pressed on. His hands were dry and raw.

"Jr…couldn't you try to approach him…just once?" Shion asked.

"Well, you know…we're both pretty stubborn," Jr. said, smiling slightly. Albedo changed back into his phantom form, and his brothers came into the area, also in ghost form. They followed them into the dive room for a final time…

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Albedo, Rubedo, and Nigredo, as well as a few non variants were resting in their dive pods. They were ready to dive into the Subconscious Domain. Helmer, Juli Mizrahi, and Dr. Yuriev were in the control room.

"Commencing with neural monitoring of unit number 666. Membrane electrical potential, stable," said one of the female employees. She glanced at one of the monitors quickly before saying, "Spontaneous brain wave frequency of number 667 shifting from 20 to 28Hz."

"Calm down, children. Don't get flustered," said Dr. Yuriev coolly. Rubedo, Nigredo, and Albedo all closed their eyes.

"Stabilized, 8Hz."

"That's better. Just like that," Yuriev praised.

"So these are the U.R.T.V.s..." Helmer said, a mixture of awe and resentment in his voice.

"Dmitri, will they be all right? I don't want to hurt these children, even for Sakura's sake," said Juli, slightly concerned.

"I'd heard they were young, but I didn't expect them to be this young..." Helmer muttered.

"You're pretty sentimental for a soldier, Helmer." Dr. Yuriev smirked.

"Hm. I believe a soldier's duty is to protect human life," he replied.

Juli glanced at the U.R.T.V.s. "This time, Sakura will be with you, too," she said to them.

"Dive commenced. Loading the subconscious domain of the subject."

Shion and the group were transported once more into Sakura's mind…

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Blaaagh, I hate writing fight scenes, so from now on, I'll be doing them for sub-bosses and bosses only. At least for a while, until Labyrinthos. I'm also trying to keep the chapters a bit shorter, a mazimum of 20 pages in Microsoft Word. That means that the next chapter may be really short, just some dialouge and then the Albedo fight. I won't have much fun with two characters who will not be named...that is, until the Dammerung. -Evil smirk-

Who was chaos reacting to while he was healing Shion? Uhh...why can't the writer think of any other questions? Why don't you read and review?

Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!


	4. Unexpected Savior

**And, now for chapter 4! As I said earlier, this may be shorter than the rest of the chapters…**

**Neeeo…disclaimer please!**

**Neo: -Sigh- KOS-MOS rox doesn't own Xenosaga. But who cares about her. I know kung-fu. And I'm sexy. Very sexy.**

**Indeed you are. Well, on with the chapter!**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 4: Unexpected Savior**

When the caravan of comrades opened their eyes, they were standing near the same gas station as before…

Only it was snowing.

Snowing! A blanket of the white stuff covered the ground beneath our heroes' feet, crunching whenever they took a step.

Nigredo, Rubedo, and Albedo were nearby. Sakura was also with them, holding Rubedo's hand. "Okay guys our target is the beach once again," Rubedo said. "Let's go, Sakura!" he said cheerfully, tugging on Sakura's hand. She smiled and happily complied, trotting off after Rubedo and his two younger brothers.

"So we're following them again?" Ziggy asked.

"Y-Yeah," Jr. said, his teeth chattering from the cold. He wrapped his arms around his chest, shivering from the cold. "Let's just hurry…I'm freezing my nips off out here!" he cried. Shion and chaos looked at each other…and busted into hysterical laughter.

"I-I can't believe you just said that!" Shion cried, tears running from her green eyes, still hysterical. chaos collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach, laughing so hard that he couldn't breathe.

"I'm serious!" Jr. said. "They're as hard as Shion and Allen's were last night!" Jr. threw his head back and roared with laughter. Shion quickly sobered and glared at Jr. To her, the snowy ground looked _very_ inviting to his face right about now.

"Aahahah…haha…haaa…" Jr. wiped a tear from his eye. "Man, now that I got that out of my system, let's follow my brothers and me!" Jr. proclaimed loudly. He began walking, then stopped in his tracks and looked around. "Wow. There's something you don't say every day."

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Once the group had caught up with the U.R.T.V. Trio, they were on the path to the beach, the same place where they had encountered the Level 4. This time around, however, the enemies were a lot tougher.

The party had sustained more damage also. Shion and chaos had quite a few bruises and cuts, KOS-MOS had gotten a little scuffed up, and Ziggy's metal hand had begun to malfunction. Jr. had a large gash under his right eye because he remarked that the beefy Necessities needed to pay a visit to Second Miltian Weight Watchers, not knowing that there was one behind him wielding an axe.

Last, but not least, the environment had grown harsher. It was freezing, and the river that previously ran through the forest had frozen. Jr. almost fell through the thin ice when Shion knocked him off of the log because of a comment he made about her and Allen. Seriously, the writer can't even repeat it in a rated T story. Maybe she'll tell you when you're older. Or when she stops talking about herself in the third person. Whatever comes first.

The surrounding area was clear. There was no trace of U-DO about them. Rubedo and Nigredo checked around, seeing nothing.

"Sakura! There's nothing here today!" Rubedo cried excitedly. "If we run, we'll be at the beach in no time!" Sakura shook her head "no", frightened.

"Why not?" Rubedo implored. "Let's go! First, we'll cure your illness, and then we'll go to a real beach!"

Sakura began panicking as she pointed behind Rubedo. "Rubedo, look!"

Rubedo, wide-eyed, turned slowly to see a demonic shadow behind him, replacing his own. He gasped and stumbled away from it, horrified. Suddenly, they heard Albedo laughing sinfully.

"What do you know, Rubedo? You're _just like me_, aren't you?" Albedo asked before continuing to laugh. A violet aura was lifting from his body like steam, and his purple eyes were glinting with insanity. "Rubedo's a monster too!" He paused to laugh some more. "It all makes perfect sense! Once, the two of us were one. So if I'm a monster that means you're a monster too! Oh, this is wonderful! I'm so happy!" He threw his head back and laughed even harder. Shion and the rest of the group stared as the aura around Albedo grew stronger.

"No! Wait! This isn't my shadow!" Rubedo yelled defensively.

"Rubedo, calm down. Please, don't get angry." Sakura tried to soothe Rubedo.

"I-I'm not a monster!" Rubedo was close to tears.

"Can you still feel the beating in your chest, Rubedo? Can you still feel my heart, buried in the right side?" The voice that came out of Albedo's mouth was not his young, high-pitched one. It was the voice of his present-day self. Shion and Ziggy looked around frantically, trying to find his location.

Rubedo's body tensed as he saw Sakura change into Momo. "Rubedo, it's a trap!" she cried.

Rubedo's body exploded with red ether flames. "Rubedo! No!" Sakura screamed, now back in her own body. The brightness from the aura around Rubedo caused Nigredo's eyes to burn. He squinted and put his arm up above his head to block the light. Rubedo screamed loudly as the aura gained strength.

Meanwhile, back in the U.M.N Control Center, Jr.'s body let out the same shrill, uncontrollable scream as Rubedo.

In the Subconscious Domain, a red aura of fury engulfed Jr.'s body. "Albedo!" he screamed furiously.

"_Shion! The Encephalon field structure has started to rapidly collapse! It's not a problem with the system. It was probably another trap inside MOMO!"_ Allen said over the headset.

Jr. was still out of control. "We should have known. Albedo anticipated the likelihood of an Encephalon dive." Shion cursed to herself. Jr. began walking towards Albedo, Nigredo, Rubedo, and Sakura's location.

"Did you say Albedo? If he was an acquaintance of Sakura Mizrahi as well, then it may have been part of his plan to bring Jr. here," said Ziggy. The three U.R.T.V.s and Sakura disappeared while Jr. still uncontrollably advanced.

"_A bypass-intrusion into the Encephalon?"_ Allen's voice rang in Shion's ear. Suddenly, the present-day Albedo appeared from out of thin air and trapped Jr. in a headlock. The shorter boy was lifted off the ground as Albedo picked him up. Jr. choked as Albedo tightened his grip.

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Back in the Control Center analysis room, Allen ripped the headset off. "This really isn't good…Ume! Take over for me!" he said to the only surviving 100-series realians. She nodded and sat in Allen's chair.

"Now, plug me in!" Allen said, putting on one of the spare pairs of red glasses.

"But Allen, you're a wimp!" Mary said.

"True, but this wimp is in love!" Allen's voice was unusually strong. He closed his eyes as Ume pressed the load button on the keyboard.

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Shion gasped as she watched Albedo choking his older brother. "Such a sweet smell, Rubedo…" he said, sniffing Jr.'s head. "The smell of rage evaporating off your body. Sure you don't suffer from excessive norepinephrine?"

"Jr.!" Ziggy said.

"Jr., calm down. Don't you want to make peace with your brother?" Shion asked.

"Peace? I'll have you know, Rubedo and I are the best of pals," Albedo mocked. He pushed his hand through Jr.'s lower abdomen, and the boy screamed in pain.

"Albedo!" Jr. cried. The aura around him grew stronger.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! That's it! Come on! Unleash what you've been holding in all these years!" Albedo yelled, laughing manically.

"I'm gonna take you down! You're gonna regret this!" Jr. yelled angrily, in tremendous pain.

"Sounds like fun. Give it a try!" Albedo said cockily.

Jr. released a burst red light from his body, striking Albedo and throwing him to the ground. Jr. coughed as he recovered from Albedo's headlock. He whirled around and shot at him. Albedo quickly dodged every bullet before sending a wave of purple energy at him. Jr. was hit, and he tumbled backwards, getting a mouthful of snow. Ziggy whacked Albedo upside the head with his metal hand, knocking it off. It quickly grew back. "You haven't forgotten my powers, have you?" Albedo cried insanely, sending an ice attack at Ziggy. It hit him, and Ziggy fell back to the ground.

KOS-MOS easily outmaneuvered the blasts that Albedo was aiming at her. She landed lightly on the ground and pointed her minigun at his abdomen. "Stay back!" she warned before shooting him.

"Ooh, that _tingles_!" Albedo said, healing the wounds in his stomach. He laughed manically again, his hands illuminating with ether power. Jr. slowly got to his feet, rubbing his now numb face. "You're gonna pay for that! Nobody gets away with making me cold!" Jr. screamed angrily as he shot at Albedo once again, with no result. "Damn, I'm out of ammo!" he yelled, rummaging in his trenchcoat for some more bullets.

chaos powered up his gloves and sent a blast of chi power at Albedo, hitting him square in the back. This took the wayward variant by surprise and he fell to the ground, coughing violently. "Death means nothing!" Albedo sneered, slowly straightening. He turned to chaos and smiled insanely at him.

Suddenly, three arrows came flying at Albedo's head from his left. Albedo quickly ducked as Momo's arrows flew just above him, skimming the top of his head. Blood seeped out of the cut, staining his pure white hair. "And now, with the shedding of blood, white turns to red! Oh, it's priceless, isn't it, Rubedo?" Albedo cried, laughing.

"Shut your mouth!" Jr. yelled angrily, still fumbling in his trenchcoat for more ammo. Shion, seeing a chance to attack, ran up to Albedo and shot him in the arm with her MWS. He cried out loudly as his arm was ripped off by the blast of electric energy.

_Thank you Miyuki..._Shion thought to herself.

"Ah, Rubedo, it seems that I have caught you utterly defenseless..." Albedo muttered. He raised his hands in the air, the purple aura looking powerful and evil. But instead of Jr., he whirled around and sent it towards Shion, catching her off-guard. She was knocked back into one of the rock walls. She fell to the snowy ground, the wind knocked out of her. The woman coughed up a mouthful of blood as more dripped from her nose. Everyone gasped as Albedo strode to Shion, about to finish her off. He raised his hand to pierce through her chest...

Suddenly, a shot rang out.

Everyone looked at Jr., but he was also looking around, wide-eyed. "I'm out of bullets! It wasn't me!" he said. Jr.'s eyes traveled upwards to the peak above Shion, seeing a tall figure, holding a pistol up in the air.

**"Don't touch her!"** cried a voice from the mystery person. The tall figure jumped from the peak and landed in a kneeling position in front of Shion. The only thing that Shion could make out with her blurry vision was light brown hair and bright blue eyes...

"All...en?" Shion said weakly. She groaned in pain and held her throbbing head.

"If you touch her, **you will die.**" Allen looked at Albedo straight in the eye, nostrils flaring. Shion struggled to get herself to a standing position, using the wall for support.

Albedo laughed as Allen held him at gunpoint. "Honestly, you think mere weapons will destroy me?" he sneered. Albedo held his hand to Allen's head, ether aura igniting from it.

"If you shoot, I shoot. I may die, but this gun will knock your head off, leaving you vulnerable until it grows back," Allen said calmly. "That's when all of these people here will attack at once, finishing you off once and for all. So either you back off, or we both die, right here, right now. What's it gonna be?"

"Allen, don't do this!" Shion whispered urgently, afraid for his life. Tears began to form in her green eyes.

"Are you really ready to _die_ for this woman?" Albedo asked.

Allen pushed the tip of the gun against Albedo's forehead and cocked it. "Believe it, you bastard."

Albedo sneered at Allen. "So, you are in love with her..." he cooed mockingly.

"Uh-huh." Allen glared at Albedo, pushing the pistol into his forehead even harder.

"With such a useless woman as her?" Albedo laughed. "She means nothing!"

Suddenly, a fire was ignited within Allen. He began breathing heavily as the rage inside of him grew.

"Yes, yes, yes! Pierce me with your hatred!" Albedo yelled madly. Laughing hysterically, the purple glare on his hand lost power.

Suddenly, his laughter changed into a bloodcurdling cry of agony. The snow on the ground below him was stained with blood. The white-haired man was on the ground, clutching his nose, blood gushing out from under his hand. Allen stood over him, his fist in front of his own face. The blood of the wayward variant on his knuckles glinted in the sunlight.

There was utter silence in the area, except the muffled curses of pain from Albedo. It remained that way for a few seconds, until...

"_Why_ didn't you just **shoot** him?" Jr. asked loudly.

"It didn't seem like a good idea at the time," Allen responded frankly.

_He...he punched me!_ Albedo screamed mentally. _I haven't been punched since..._ Albedo closed his eyes as he recalled the pain of a certain day 14 years ago...

_"You idiot!" The fist collided with his jaw. "Don't you ever pull anything like that again! If you die, you can't come back to life!"_

Albedo snarled and got to his feet, glaring at his brown-haired attacker. He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his jumpsuit. "So this is how it's going to be?" he cried angrily. Albedo grabbed Allen by his collar and ripped his shirt off.

In that instant, everyone but Shion, KOS-MOS, and Momo gasped in surprise. Even Albedo stopped for a second, unbelievingly shaking his head.

"Dude, he's _ripped!_" Jr. said. "Man! If I was cut like him, I would never wear a shirt!"

It was then that Albedo wrapped his arm around Allen's neck, being his second headlock victim for the day. Gasping for air, Allen jabbed his elbow forcefully into the soft area just below Albedo's ribcage. The air came from Albedo's lungs in a painful blast as he dropped Allen and clutched his side. Quickly recovering, Albedo punched Allen right in the eye, ripping a yelp of pain from the younger man's mouth. At that exact moment, Shion felt a small twinge in her lower abdomen, and for an instant, her eyes glowed a piercing green...

"Son of a bitch!" Allen grunted, covering his already swelling eye with his hand. Blinded with rage, he reared back and swung at Albedo's jaw. A mixture of blood and saliva spurted from Albedo's mouth as Allen's fist made contact with his face. Rubbing his jaw, Albedo straightened himself.

"Why am I wasting my time trying to destroy you?" Albedo asked Allen angrily. "My true reason for being here is terminating Rubedo!" The man turned to face his "big brother".

Albedo and Jr. both screamed with fury as domes of energy around their bodies clashed, Albedo's purple, Jr.'s a ruby red.

"No! Jr., if you fight Albedo, you'll just be hurting yourself!" Shion said. "Oh..." she said weakly as more dizziness overcame her body.

"Are you okay?" Allen asked, concerned. He gently wrapped his arms arond her, supporting her petite frame.

"I'll be fine..."

"Wait, Shion. Jr. is losing control," Ziggy said, looking at the redhead.

"You've got to hand it to him. He's trying to control his emotions. But his body hungers for combat. We are weapons, after all!" Albedo exclaimed evilly.

Jr. screamed out of control as he continued to emit the dome of burst energy. Suddenly, unnoticed by everyone, Momo's great amber eyes snapped back to attention. Taking a moment to look at her surroundings, she saw Jr., close to killing himself with rage.

"Jr.!" Momo said quietly. She closed her eyes before saying, "Stop..."

"**Stop!" **she screamed. Her high-pitched voice echoed throughout the entire frozen tundra.

"You fell for it, ma peche!" Albedo said, satisfied with himself.

Suddenly from the sky, a judgment-like beam fired downwards and struck Momo. "You're so easy to manipulate, my mechanical angel. Mizrahi and his crazy whims... Anyone can see that it would've been smarter not to give you human emotions!" Albedo said. Momo cringed in pain as the Y-DATA was stolen from her subconscious.

"It seems that I have what I came for now..." Albedo said, smirking evilly. "I will take my leave now..." And with a swish of his cloak, Albeo disappeared. Momo fell to the ground.

"Momo!" Jr. and Ziggy ran over to Momo. Slowly, Momo got to her feet. Jr. quickly embraced her, expelling a sigh of relief. Momo lifted her head from Jr.'s chest, and...

Jr. kissed her. On the lips. He didn't know why, he just did it. Letting go of her, he stared at her, wide-eyed. Momo looked at Jr. too.

"Aww, Jr. kissed Momo!" Shion cooed.

"Maybe, but at least I'm not going to seduce her now, unlike _somebody_ we know..." Jr. said, smirking at Shion. Noticing her wet backside, he said, "Woah, Shion, did you just sit in a puddle or are you _really_ happy to see Allen?"

"It's snow!" Shion said, blushing furiously.

"Hahaha, she has a nosebleed too," he chuckled.

"It's called a blow to the head, you little f-"

"Shion, Momo is awake now!" Jr. shook his head, smirking.

"We should dive out," Ziggy said. "We may still be able to stop Albedo."

"Good idea..." Shion said. "Wait a second...Allen, if you're here, then who's operating the dive?"

"Ume is. She was the only 100-series who survived the attack," Allen replied.

"Oh. Okay." Shion put her hand to her ear. "Ume, we're ready. Take us out."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The instant he felt the floor return beneath his feet, Jr. took the red glasses and ran towards Momo. Juli Mizrahi and Allen rushed down the stairs to the area where the others were. Allen's right eye was swollen and bruised.

"Momo, you're awake!" Jr. said happily.

"Jr., why did you kiss me?" Momo asked quietly. Jr.'s face turned the color of his hair as he began to stammer.

"Oh my god..." Shion said, looking at Allen's eye. "That's horrible..." Allen winced as Shion touched it gently.

"It's alright, I've had worse," he said.

"What about the Y-Data?" Ziggy asked Juli.

"It's gone. The thing we feared the most these last fourteen years... The key..." Juli said regretfully. As she saw everyone's puzzled looks, she said, "The wheels have been set in motion. They can't be stopped."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere in the surrounding space, Albedo sat in the E.S. Simeon. The mech began glowing eerily.

"This is it. The Key to the Abyss," Albedo whispered in awe. "The gospel that will awaken Miltia. Rubedo. Are you looking at it? Come...let us share our new world!" he said to his estranged brother. Ancient symbols began to rise up in the eerie glow of the A.M.W.S. The A.M.W.S. suddenly disappeared, along with its pilot.

-----------------------------------------------------------

In the U.M.N Control Center, Jr. was walking towards the door. Suddenly, he fell to his knees, clutching his right chest. He cried out in agony as Shion and the rest of the group ran up behind him.

"Jr. what's wrong?" Shion asked urgently.

"My chest... My right side... This pain... It's Albedo's," Jr. said weakly. "His heartbeat is fading. It can't be... Albedo..." And then, the U.R.T.V. leader began to cry.

---------------------------------------------------------------

A bit later, on the Dammerung, Wilhelm sat in his office with his head in his hands. "_She is blessed among women..." _he muttered to himself. "_And blessed is the fruit of her womb..." _Suddenly, Wilhelm stood up, clutching his chest and coughing violently. Looking at the Compass of Order, he said two simple words...

"They're here."

--------------------------------------------------

**Whoo! That was a fun chapter to write. As I said before, I **_**HATE**_** fight scenes...**

**Question time! What's up with Shion? I mean, her eyes were glowing! Who was Wilhelm talking about, **_**blessed among woman**_**? And who is the fruit of her womb? **

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	5. Healer and Destroyer

**Welcome to the real world! Yeeeah! LOL...anyways, on with chapter 5! If you liked the love scene in chapter 1, prepare to HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN with the one in this chapter. There's also a FLCL reference in this chapter... -Turns on Paranoia Agent-**

**Lil' Slugger: Yeah, I'll do your disclaimer for ya…KOS-MOS rox does not own Xenosaga and/or The Matrix. She wishes that she did, though.**

**Neo: -Flies in- Hey, shrimpo! You took my job!**

**Lil' Slugger: …-Bonks Neo on the head with his golden bat-**

**Neo: -Makes Lil' Slugger explode-**

**-Sigh- On with the chapter!**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 5: Healer and Destroyer**

The adolescent voice of the U.R.T.V. leader rang through the black void that is the game loading zone, speaking directly to the readers and possible reviewers. _"When Albedo, my twin brother, released the seal, the lost path to Old Miltia was reopened once again. In response to this incident, the Federation government and the Immigrant Fleet both began their invasion into Miltian space. Their objective was to gain control over the original Zohar, which was still sleeping on Miltia," The_ boy paused for a moment._ "However, the Immigrant Fleet has anticipated this incident and successfully broke through the Federation's blockade. The Immigrant Fleet began their descent into Old Miltia. In its confusion, the Federation government's response was slow and disorganized. Though they deployed ships to try and secure the region, the Federation's unable to stop the Immigrant Fleet's advance."_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------_

Meanwhile, in a Cathedral-like area, a communication hologram of Margulis appeared next to a man clad in gold and white robes. "I see that Miltia and the Subcommittee have begun to take action. And there's news that Vector is taking part, as well. Can you handle them?" the older man asked.

"Leave it to me. I have already dispatched the Inquisitors. The disheveled Federation will be no match for us," Margulis replied.

"Margulis."

"Yes, Holiness?"

"I have faith in you. Not as an Inquisitor, but as a comrade who shares the same goals. I want you to show me the strength of your devotion," the Patriarch said. "Do you understand?" he asked sharply.

"Yes," Margulis said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

In the U.M.N. Control Center, Juli was speaking to Momo. Momo was feeling perfectly okay, despite what happened to her earlier. "Judging by the situation, it seems the journey to Old Miltia needs to happen as soon as possible," Juli said to her "daughter".

"Yes," Momo responded.

"According to Representative Helmer, if they use your 100-seriesprototypespecial navigational skills, they could potentially travel to Old Miltia undetected," Juli stated. Momo nodded. "It'll be very dangerous," Juli said, her voice softening a bit. "But I can't put the entire star cluster at risk because of my personal feelings."

"Mommy..." Momo said, approaching Juli.

"It feels strange to me now. For some reason, I don't want to let you go..."

"Mommy!"

"It's just like...just like Ziggurat said...you and Sakura are two completely different people." Juli stroked Momo's hair in a motherly fashion. "The Sakura that Rubedo described to me was a carefree tomboy. But you...you're a thoughtful, dependable young woman. That's why I want to get to know you better. It's going to be a difficult mission. But make sure you come back. I'll be waiting."

"Yes!" Momo said, enthusiastically throwing her arms around Juli in a bear hug. The woman was stiff at first, but eventually relaxed into her daughter's arms.

"Please...make sure you come back..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jr.'s voice spoke again in the dark area. _"Meanwhile, after receiving orders to appear before Vector, Shion and Allen, our lovey-dovey smoochy-smoochy Vector couple, returned to the Dammerung stationed in Miltian space. In response to the Immigrant Fleet, Representative Helmer dispatched Miltia's standing forces to support the Federation. Helmer also planned out a covert operation to acquire the original Zohar on Miltia...secret covert o-per-ation plan A! Seriously, that's how he said it!" _Jr. stopped to laugh. Quickly sobering, he continued. _"This mission was secretly supported by Vector and the Contact Subcommittee and would be carried out by the Kukai Foundation," _Jr. cleared his throat._ "Upon receiving Helmer's request, the others and I made preparations to descend into Old Miltia in the newly restored Elsa. In addition, to ensure the absolute success of this mission, two new members also joined their ranks, Jin and Canaan. Ah, two. That's the number of rounds that Shion and Allen went for last night." _Jr. paused, thinking about what he had just said.

"_...oh, shit. Shion's gonna kill me for saying that. This is our secret, okay?"_ Jr. asked the person reading the story. _"Speaking of those two, let's check up on them!"_

"_...besides, Fooly Cooly is on, and I want to catch part a bit of it before we depart for Old Miltia! That show is the GREATEST!" _Jr. added after a second.

_---------------------------------------------------------------------_

The Dammerung floated gently through space, the almost inaudible hum lulling its passengers into a state of utmost relaxation. Allen Ridgeley stepped out of the shower and shivered. He had taken a cold shower so that Shion could have the hot water. Jr. would probably have something to say about his cold shower, but he's not here right now. Thank God for Shion and Allen. Drying himself off, he looked in the mirror. His eye was still black and blue, and quite painful. He shook his head, trying to dry his tawny locks. Deeming it unnecessary, he wrapped the towel around his waist and walked into the main part of the room.

"Shion, all yours," he said, sliding on a pair of boxers. "Shion?" Allen looked at the bed to see his girlfriend sprawled prone on it, looking as if Jr. had just shot her. He laughed and laid down beside her.

"You okay?" he asked, stroking her back.

"I can't move…" she said, her voice muffled by a pillow. "Muscles aching…can't form correct sentences…going to pass out…" Shion turned her head to look at him, smirking. Allen laughed again before kissing her.

"Want a massage?" he asked, winking at her.

"Yes, please!" Shion said enthusiastically. Allen grinned and stood up.

"You're going to have to take your shirt off," Allen said. Shion nodded and allowed Allen to slip her shirt over her head, revealing her bra. Shion sighed as Allen's fingers rubbed her lower back, his fingers unerringly finding all of the areas where there was any ache. Slowly, his hands made their way to her shoulders, when he suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Shion asked.

"There's this…thing on your right shoulderblade." Allen sounded confused. "Is that a birthmark? A tattoo?" On her shoulderblade, there was a mark that looked like the stem of a rose, with thorns sticking out in every direction. It was hard to describe what it looked like.

"Oh, that. I honestly don't know what it is, I've had it since I was born," Shion said. "It must be a birthmark or something."

"Must have missed that last night," Allen said. Shion giggled.

Then, an idea popped into Shion's head. She shifted both of their positions so that she was laying face up, Allen straddling her hips, his hands resting upon her chest. Shion grinned when she saw the faint pink color of Allen's cheeks. She lifted her head to brush her lips past his ever so lightly, then engaging him in a slow, deep, passionate kiss. Shion moaned into his mouth as he gently squeezed the area where Shion had placed his hands.

Allen sat up, not moving his lips from Shion's. Shion wrapped her legs around his lower torso. Allen broke the kiss and began trailing kisses over her cheek and to her ear. He smiled as his lips hit the earring he had given her the previous night.

"You wore it…" he whispered sensually into her ear.

"Why wouldn't I?" It was then that Allen's elbow bumped into the light control, encompassing the two of them in a thrilling tent of darkness.

Allen began nuzzling and kissing Shion's neck, searching for the sensitive spot he had discovered last night. She moaned when he hit it, and she kissed her there again. Shion tilted her chin upwards, giving him more access. He bit down on that spot, and she let out a cry of pleasure. He moved his mouth, revealing a red mark from his teeth. Shion grinned and began kissing Allen's neck. When she found a particularly soft spot, she too bit down. Allen moaned as Shion let go. "Now we both have to wear turtlenecks tomorrow," she said, smiling and sexily tracing his lovebite mark with her index finger.

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

Meanwhile, in Wilhelm's office, his personal communication unit began to ring. The Compass of Order began rotating faster as the Vector C.E.O. answered it. chaos appeared on a small holographic screen, blinking when he saw Wilhelm.

"Ah, Yeshua. It's been quite awhile, my twin brother…" Wilhelm said coolly.

"That's not my name anymore," chaos muttered.

"Oh, right. What name do you go by now?" Wilhelm asked.

"My name is chaos, _baby brother_..." chaos said.

"Only by thirty seconds...well, I guess you did come out first..." Wilhelm said. "chaos...that's an odd name. I like Yeshua more. It fits you better."

"I tried to contact your earlier, but I couldn't find a truly secure line," chaos explained, ignoring Wilhelm's last comment. "We don't need the news leaking into the media as it did last time. Nobody can know about our brother…at least, not until his time comes…"

"Cautious as ever I see, _Healer_…" Wilhelm smirked.

"Unlike you, _Destroyer_…" chaos returned his twin's smirk.

"Let's get to the real reason why you contacted me," Wilhelm said. "The Promised Child. Our brother."

"Yes. He is here. I can feel his presence, even now…" chaos stated, closing his eyes.

"Are we going to come together again…in preparation for his arrival?" Wilhelm asked.

"That was my plan," chaos said. "Let's begin."

"_Asato ma sad gamaya…tamaso ma jyotir gamaya…mrtyor mamrtam gamaya…" _the two brothers said. _"From delusion lead me to truth…from darkness lead me to light…from death lead me to immortality…"_

Both men cried out loudly as a bright light engulfed both of them. _And the children shall become one again…Healer and Destroyer…_

When the light finally died, chaos and Wilhelm were both panting heavily, grasping their chests.

"I can feel both powers! I-I've never felt this before!" chaos choked excitedly.

"And now, I'll be able to heal also…" Wilhelm said, satisfaction in his voice.

"I have to disconnect now. My crewmates may have heard me," chaos said.

"Alright. We will meet again very soon, dear brother…" Wilhelm said. His communication monitor blipped off, and Wilhelm sank back into his chair, sighing deeply.

----------------------------------------------------------------

In Shion and Allen's room, things were becoming extremely intense. Shion's hands ran down Allen's bare chest, dragging her nails lightly down the soft skin of his stomach. She could feel the firm muscles twinge under her gentle touch. Allen kissed Shion hard on the mouth. Shion opened hers, and Allen began sliding his tongue in and out of her mouth. He stroked the inside of both of her thighs, causing her to gasp and moan loudly. She ran her slender fingers through his tawny brown hair. "You're getting warm…" she muttered.

"Hot," he said, taking a break from indulging in her neck, "I'm hot." He began suckling on her lower lip, and Shion could feel soft flecks of his tongue without deepening the kiss.

Suddenly, the communication monitor began blinking. In the heat of their passion, the couple didn't notice it, nor did they notice when Allen's elbow accidentally bumped the "Answer" button on the control.

Miyuki's excited face appeared on the communication screen. Her expression quickly changed to one of shock when she saw the darkened room and heard Shion: "Mmm…uhhhnn…ahhhg…"

_Okay then… Miyuki thought to herself. Dark room…plus Shion moaning…equals…OHMYGOD! _Miyuki laughed evilly before screaming, "**Snog!" **

Shion and Allen both gasped in surprise and turned their heads to look at the screen. "Miyuki!" Shion yelled. "Why are you calling us?"

"Hehehe. Were you two making love?" she asked, grinning mischievously.

"Not yet…" Allen mumbled. Shion elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to cough loudly.

"Miyuki, are we naked?" Shion asked, blushing.

"Well…almost…kinda…" Miyuki muttered. "If I would have called ten minutes later…hee hee!"

Shion began blushing even harder as she let go of Allen, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "Alright, Miyuki, what's so important that it couldn't wait until the morning?" Shion asked, glancing at the clock, which read 11:37 PM.

"The path to Old Miltia! It was opened, and everyone is super-excited about it! I mean, nothing like this has happened in years! I don't even remember Old Miltia! I was only six! You were eight, and Allen was ten! See, now I'm twenty, you're twenty-two, and Allen is twenty-four! I have good math because I'm an engineer! Shion, are you even listening to me? Speaking of weapons, have you gotten my e-mail about the new weapon I've been developing for KOS-MOS? Oh, it's super-cool! I'll just tell you now! Okay, so it's a blade, but it doubles as a gun! It shoots plasma and-"

"Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop talking." Allen repeated himself a countless number of times, rubbing his temples. But Miyuki just kept rambling on.

"Native girl must stop!" Shion yelled. Immediately, Miyuki shut up and looked at Shion. "Thank you Haruko…" she mumbled. "Anyways, Miyuki…do you even know what's going on out there? We're on high-security alert because of that phase distortion."

"I know! It's because the path to Old Miltia was suddenly opened! The observation teams are going _nuts_!"

"That's where you're driving us…" Shion muttered.

"Well then, maybe now's not the best time to be chatting like this, is it?" Allen asked Miyuki sarcastically.

"Awww, that's not nice!" Miyuki said, pouting. "What about you two? The director still hasn't received the KOS-MOS real-world operation data report."

_Ping_

Suddenly, the room went dark. Shion slowly looked over her shoulder and saw that eerie girl with orange hair and bright blue eyes…

"N-Nephilim?" Shion gasped. But the girl disappeared quickly, an upset look on her face.

"Shion? Shion!" Shion heard Miyuki's voice. The room changed back to normal.

"What? Oh, sorry. What were you saying?" Shion asked, shaking her head. _Was that…an illusion? Why…why was she…why did she have such a sad face…?_

"I said you should hurry up and send the data to the director," Miyuki said. "Now I'm going to leave you two alone. Just don't wake up the whole ship…" Miyuki grinned before disconnecting. A great whooshing sigh of relief came from both Shion and Allen.

"I thought she'd never hang up," Shion said, grasping Allen's hair as he kissed the area just above her chest. Suddenly, a feeling of extreme exhaustion washed over Shion. "Whoa…" she said, grabbing her head.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Allen asked, concerned.

"I'm feeling sort of dizzy…" Shion said, lying down on the bed.

"Do you want to just sleep? Because that would be fine with me," Allen asked gently, lying down beside her.

"Mmm…yeah…" Shion said. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace. "I love you…" she sighed.

"I love you too, Shion…" Allen closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her forehead, stroking her arm lovingly. Allen's gentle touch combined with the Dammerung's quiet lullaby caused Shion to fall asleep almost immediately.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Where am I?"_

_Shion looked straight ahead, seeing the original Zohar. She slowly walked towards it, furrowing her brow. "Is this a dream?" she asked aloud. "This is…it's…the Zohar?"_

_A white-haired woman appeared on the platform in front of the Zohar, along with a little boy who looked to be about one year old. He had dark brown hair, and bright green eyes that far surpassed the luminosity of Shion's. The boy beamed when he saw Shion like a child who just saw his mother._

"_Febronia? Feb?" Shion stepped up onto the platform. _

_The child reached towards Shion and uttered one simple word:_

"_Up."_

"_Oh…may I?" Shion asked Feb._

"_Of course," Feb answered. Shion bent over and picked the little one up, swinging him over to her hip. The boy rested his head on her shoulder and began sucking his thumb contentedly. _

"_Feb, what in the world's going on? What is this place? Why are you here?" Shion asked. "And who is this?" she asked, gesturing to the child on her hip._

"_This is the cage in which my sisters are held captive. A frigid prison created for the Zohar," Feb stated._

"_A prison? But, where are they? I don't see them," Shion said, looking around._

"_Shion. Set them free from this cage," Feb implored. "Please, I want you to lift the curse that mankind has placed upon them."_

"_But, I don't know where I am! Where is this place? How can I save them?" Shion cried. "I don't understand any of this!"_

"_Soon…you will visit this place," Feb explained. "Please, Shion…save Cecily and Cathe." The realian turned to leave._

"_Wait, Feb! You still haven't told me who this child is!" Shion said. Feb looked over her shoulder at Shion._

"_He is…the future…" Feb said, walking back into the Zohar. Shion's surrounding's melted around her, and all she could see was black, black, endless black…_

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Shion woke with a start, shaking violently._ Cold…why is it so cold? _Shion lifted her head from Allen's shoulder and glanced at the temperature gauge on the headboard. It read the exact same as it did when they had fallen asleep. She looked at the clock, which now read 1:42 AM.

It was then that Shion remembered Miyuki's advice. "Oh, right…I have to send the data…" she whispered to herself.

Shion freed herself from Allen's embrace, being careful not to wake him. She slipped her shirt on, then her jacket. She pulled her shoes to the side of her bed and slid them on her feet. She kneeled on the bed and brushed a wayward strand of hair out of Allen's closed eyes. She bent over and gently kissed his bruised eye. The man sighed and shifted his position, causing Shion to grin goofily. He was so cute when he was asleep…

Shion got down from the bed and lightly stepped to the door, which opened with a whoosh of air. She walked to the communications room.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Once she reached the communications room, Shion plopped down on a chair in front of one of the terminals and loaded the data disk. She opened the real-world operation file and sent it to the director.

Sending, sending, sending. Shion sighed. And they said that the new version of the UMN was supposed to be the fastest.

When the file finally went through, Shion sank back into the chair and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

_Ping_

Shion whirled around in the chair, almost falling off. Nephilim stood behind her, accompanied by the same little boy from her dream. But the boy had grown…he looked like he was about five or six now.

"Hey!" the child exclaimed excitedly, smiling sweetly at Shion.

Shion flashed him a confused look before smiling back. She looked at Nephilim. "So it was you. Was this all your doing?" Nephilim closed her blue eyes. "What in the world are you and Feb trying to tell me?"

"Feb is waiting for you. There is no time left," Nephilim said quickly.

"Waiting? At that place…in my dream?" Shion asked.

"Shion. You must go. And there, you must make a choice. It is for your sake, as well as theirs," Nephilim stated. "It is something very important to both your past and your future…as well as to his life," she said, looking at the boy. He nodded eagerly, strands of his brown locks flying every which way.

"My choice? Past? Future? His life? What are you saying?"

"The path has already been opened. Please, grant her this one request," Nephilim said.

"That path? You mean…" Shion gasped and stood up abruptly. "Miltia! Feb's sisters are on Miltia!"

"Shion…hurry. Before he awakens again. Feb…save her sisters…" Nephilim said.

"I know you can do it," the mysterious boy said, raising his glowing green eyes to meet Shion's. "You can do anything…you're amazing!" he said, beaming.

"Shion, are you in there?" Allen's voice called from outside the door. Nephilim and the child disappeared as Allen entered the room, fully-clothed.

Shion shook her head and stood up, walking for the door. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked.

"Oh, Old Miltia…" Shion said nonchalantly. She walked out the door, but Allen reached out and grabbed her by the arm. He gently pulled her back in the door.

"Sounds like fun. I'm in," he said, smirking.

"No. I don't want you coming with me," Shion said. "It's too dangerous."

"Ah, I can't let you have all the fun, can I? Allen said. Shion sighed loudly.

"Fine. You can come," she said. "Just promise me that you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you…" she said. Allen wrapped his arms around her waist in a loose embrace.

"I promise, you won't lose me…" Allen said, running his hand through her hair. "What are we going to do for transportation? I doubt that the administrations bureau's gonna authorize a transfer in a state of emergency."

"I've got an idea. There's a transport here on the Dammerung that Kevin was developing concurrently with KOS-MOS. If we use it, we can travel through hyperspace without going near the UMN," Shion explained.

"Awesome." Allen grinned. "Alright, let's do this!"

"Wait, one thing first…" Shion said, smoothing down a tuft of Allen's hair that was standing straight up on his head. "That was bugging me…" she said, laughing.

"Why did I have to fall for somebody like you?" he asked her, smiling.

"Because I'm _so_ irresistible…" she said, kissing him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

After a quick pit-stop in their room to get their weapons, the couple made their way down to the Dammerung's restricted area. They fought countless holograms (To which they both said "How the heck do you fight a hologram?") and VSS Frensels, the Dammerung security robots. They also had to figure out many puzzles, including boxes, conveyer belts, and their personal favorite…the tilting glass sheet. Wilhelm must have a lot of time, money, and imagination to have created them. Finally, they reached the console. Shion pressed a button to see a hologram of the E.S. Dinah.

"There it is," Shion said. "The..._Dinah_…" Suddenly, Shion felt a feeling of horrible grief wash over her…

"_This is horrible! How could this have happened?" her own voice echoed in her memories._

"_It's okay, Shion. You're still alright, and that's all that matters."_

"Shion? Are you alright?" Allen asked, seeing the sad look on her face.

"Oh, it's nothing…" Shion said, snapping back to attention.

"All right…how are we gonna get onboard? The security here isn't exactly easy to override," Allen said, looking at the console.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Three security realians were dispatched to the restricted area when they had seen Shion and Allen on the security monitors. They stood on the opposite side of the door closest to the couple, listening to their conversation.

"_Brute force."_

"That's Shion Uzuki." The first realian nodded.

"_We'd better be careful…if we get caught going any further, getting fired will be the least of our troubles."_

The first realian looked at the other two, wide-eyed. "You don't think…" the second one whispered. The third one just shrugged.

"_Oh, where's your sense of adventure? We can't turn back, Allen. We've come this far!" Shion's voice said. "Now let's get moving."_

The jaws of the three realians dropped. "I just got mental picture!" the third one whispered, grasping his head.

"Shhh!" the first said, pressing his ear against the door. "They advanced to the next room!" he said. Quickly, the trio ran out the door.

------------------------------------------------------------

Shion stepped into the next room, almost being blown away by a gigantic blast of air. Allen quickly grabbed her wrist as he pointed at the front end of the room. "Holy crap! Giant fan!" he yelled.

"Jesus! Why did Wilhelm build all this?" Shion said loudly over the roar of the fan.

"Grab onto my shirt!" Allen said. Shion nodded and grabbed a fistful of Allen's uniform top, hanging on for dear life as the wind almost lifted her off the ground.

"I'm so glad that you're heavier than me!" Shion yelled.

"What?" Allen replied, squinting.

"I said, I'm so glad that you're heavier than me!"

"Huh?"

"I'm so glad that you're…" Shion sighed. "Never mind!"

"What?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

After the two scientists had finally gotten to the other side of the room and shut the fan off, they finally made it into the hangar. Suddenly, a loud, blaring alarm sounded. "Warning. This area is currently off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Please leave immediately," said an automated voice. 2 VSS Frensels appeared from out of nowhere and surrounded Shion and Allen. The Vector employees looked at each other, smirked, and each fired their weapons at a different robot, quickly disabling both of them.

"Let's go!" Allen said, running to the spacecraft and quickly climbing into the cockpit.

"Wait for me!" Shion said, jogging after him and laughing. "How's it looking?" Shion asked him from the ladder.

"Well, the power's active. I'll initiate the system. Hurry and get inside!" he replied from the cockpit.

"Okay," Shion said.

But before she could climb into the ship, the three realians busted into the room, assault rifles out and ready to go. "Ah, but it looks like we're a little late…we're kind of surrounded," Shion said.

"Yeah, I see them…" Allen placed his fingers on the gun triggers. "Hang on tight, Shion!" he yelled.

"Wait! Allen!" Shion held the ladder in a death-grip as Allen shouted some words that wouldn't be acceptable in a rated T story and fired at the realians.

"Out the door! Don't get shot!" one of the realians yelled, signaling for a retreat. Allen fired the machine guns at the boxes stacked up by the door, creating an effective barrier between them and the realians.

"All right! That ought to hold them for a while!" Allen said, satisfied with himself.

Shion climbed into the co-pilot seat above Allen's, smiling brightly. "Not bad! Allen, that was awesome!" she said.

"Well, it's all a part of being a man!" Allen said proudly. "And the power of love!" he added after a second, stumbling over those last few words. Even though they were already intimate, Allen would still get nervous when he was around her. She was a beautiful woman, with a personality to match. She was all that he could dream of, and now that she felt the same way, Allen as happier than he could ever be.

Shion grinned and blushed as the hangar hatch opened and the takeoff lights appeared. Shion rubbed the top of Allen's head with her foot. "You ready?"

"You know it," Allen said determinedly.

"I'm gonna floor it! Hang on tight!" Shion said.

The spacecraft started up and accelerated up the ramp and into the stars.

------------------------------------------------------

In Wilhelm's office, Wilhelm was sitting at his desk. out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the Dinah passing by.

"Hello, little brother..." Wilhelm whispered, actually smiling. "I can't wait to truly meet you," he said as the craft disappeared into warp jump.

Red Cloak walked in the door, breaking Wilhelm's trance. "We've detected Albedo's ascension," the man said.

"I see. He did well. The lock has been opened and the obstacle removed. The rest is up to her," Wilhelm said.

"Will matters proceed smoothly?"

"She is suited for the task. There will be no problems," the older man said. "People always try to live a life of choices between 'good' and 'evil.' They make pessimism their foundation, and praise misfortune and sorrow. And then they try to seek a pure heart. Yet this is nothing more than their individual view, born out of comparison with others. Is she who thinks of others 'right'? Is he who opened the door 'wrong'? Only those who stand in a place beyond that point can comprehend the true essence and gain knowledge of absolute truth," he mused.

Red Cloak looked at his master. "Her awakening - The Divine Form's awakening - will lead us to that summit. Don't you agree?" Wilhelm asked, eyeing him.

"..." Red Cloak remained silent.

"In any case, the intermission is over and the players stand upon the stage. All that remains is to wait for the knight to appear," Wilhelm said. "And for that, it is necessary that someone play the role of the villain."

"Will he suffice for that role?" the Red Cloaked man asked.

"Do you object? The greater the suffering, the more exciting the drama..." Wilhelm stated.

"Oh...Master Wilhelm, who were you talking to before I came in?" the man in the red robe asked.

Wilhelm looked at his feet, closed his claret eyes, and took a deep breath. "I don't want to upset you, Testament..."

"Master Wilhelm, what do you mean? Master Wilhelm?" But the white haired man remained silent.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Dinah had just returned to regular space from warp jump. "1.41 parsecs to Miltia," Allen said, checking some monitors. "No ship signatures around."

"We're halfway there," Shion said, letting out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, black ships appeared from our of wap jump and surrounded them. A large, mysterious mech followed suit. The black attack ships fired lasers at the spacecraft.

"I'm giving you weapons control! I'll handle the navigation!" Shion commanded, rapidly pressing buttons. Allen nodded as Shion began trying to evade the blasts.

"Knuckle up!" Shion yelled. Allen furrowed his brow and squeezed the triggers of the two gun controls, sending an array of laser beams at the black ships, failing to destroy only a few.

"Let's go for that now!" Shion said, pointing at the large mech.

"Can you bring me in closer?" Shion navigated the craft up close enough for Allen to get a good shot at the A.M.W.S.

"Take this, you bastard!" Allen yelled, allowing the beams to fly freely at the target.

Much to Shion and Allen's surprise, the mech easily dodged the attacks. "What kind of maneuvers are those? That's well beyond the limits of the human body!" Allen said.

The A.M.W.S. began firing multiple laser beams at the Dinah, and Shion began performing the most advanced maneuvers she had learned. "How are you doing down there?" Shion asked Allen, who was having his upper body thrown around like a rag doll.

"Ah, perfectly fine," he answered, trying to concentrate on the weapons control. "Besides the inevitable whiplash, of course..."

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the Dinah as it was hit from behind, almost hurling Shion from her seat. "We're hit! Sheilds lost!" Allen cried in response to the warning screens appearing everywhere.

"I know!" Shion replied, beginning to worry.

The opposing mech then revealed itself from its protective armor cover, about to make a move. Shion screamed, thinking it was all over...

----------------------------------------------------------

_Not wanting to upset me? What was he talking about?_

Red Cloak was walking down the hall on the Dammerung to his quarters. He stopped abruptly in his tracks.

"Voyager! No!" he snarled. "She can't be destroyed!"

The man clad in red put both hands on his head. "Wake up, dammit! **Wake up**!"

---------------------------------------------------------

**Woot for cliffhangers!**

**Well, I guess that it's not really a cliffhanger if you've already played Xenosaga 2...**

**But who knows? I may have changed this plot! Trinity and Neo may appear from out of nowhere and save Shion and Allen!**

**...yeah right. HA!**

**Anyways...who was that little boy in Shion's dreams? And the _Promised Child_? chaos and Wilhelm's brother? What the heck?**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	6. Never Letting Go

**Wow, I'm bustin' out these chapters like there's no tomorrow...LOL! So...does anybody think they know who that little boy is? You'll never guess! **

**...Well, unless you belong to Xenolegacy. If you belong to Xenolegacy, you've known who he is since before I started writing this LOL! **

**Neo: -Sigh- You're rambling... **

**Whatever! Do the disclaimer! **

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox doesn't own Xenosaga, or anything copyrighted that is mentioned in this story. But, sadly, she DOES own me. -Points to the leash around his neck- **

**Yep! On with the story! **

**------------------------------------------------------ **

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe **

**Chapter 6:Never Letting Go **

"Oh man...what a day this is going to be."

The supervisor of Vector's Second R and D Division, Edward Killcrest, walked into the lab. He glanced as KOS-MOS' charging pod, sighing when he thought of how much work he had to do. A few of the employees were already hard at work, even though it was still early. 6:02 AM to be exact. The man sat down and let out another heaving sigh before taking a large gulp of his coffee.

"Hey, Mr. Killcrest!" said Stevo, a particularly annoying employee. He was fairly new to Vector. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Edward grunted in response.

Suddenly, the lights flickered off and an alarm sounded. "Ugh, this is great," the supervisor muttered. "What's going on?" he called.

"I-It's KOS-MOS! She suddenly started up!" Stevo said, a ghastly look on his face. The top of KOS-MOS' cryogenic bed opened, a white mist billowing out of it.

"But that's not possible," Edward said, narrowing his eyes at the pod. "Her reactor isn't even installed yet..."

"I...I know!"

The walls of the arena-like room slid open as KOS-MOS stepped out of her resting bed. Her old armor was replaced by a translucent blue one to match her hair. She had a new diamond earring, and a Vector symbol tattooed on her forehead to replace her visor.

"Oh...shit..." Stevo said, his eyes widening, watching the android's every move. He clung to Edward's arm, shaking him violently. "Is she gonna kill us?"

"Get off me!" Edward snapped, ripping his arm from the employee's grip. "Look! What is she doing?"

KOS-MOS stood over her charging pod. She placed her hand above it, and the workers watched in awe as it changed into a space-launching motorbike. She climbed onto the seat and rode it around the room. Stevo stumbled backwards as KOS-MOS almost ran him over.

Wait! KOS-MOS! What are you doing?" Edward asked the android frantically.

"Shion," KOS-MOS said, looking out into the open air.

"What?"

"Shion is calling me." The android turned around to look at them, her red eyes gleaming.

"Shion? Chief Uzuki is...?" Edward said, his hands shaking.

KOS-MOS mounted the bike and took off into the sky, leaving the dumbfounded employees behind.

----------------------------------------------------

"Left! Go left!" Allen yelled as a blast almost hit the spacecraft. Shion jerked the craft to the right as her hand slipped from the control. "No, your other left!"

Shion grunted as she struggled to recover the lost control stick. "Damn it!" she hissed. "Just shoot everything you see!" she called to Allen.

The unidentified A.M.W.S. fired more lasers at the Dinah. Shion barely managed to evade the blasts. A black ship that was missed in the initial assault began charging its beam. "Is this the end?" Shion whispered, her eyes welling up with tears of fright. She reached down and grabbed Allen's hand. He squeezed it softly and reassuringly.

But instead of being violently attacked, they saw another incoming beam destroying the black ship. Shion used her free hand to press the button for the external cameras.

"K-KOS-MOS!" Shion cried out in surprise.

"Wh-What?"

"Look!"

KOS-MOS was speeding about majestically on her motorbike, destroying craft after craft. "Shion. I am switching your craft to control mode B,' KOS-MOS said over the speaker. "Prepare for docking."

"What? Docking?" Shion asked.

The spacecraft entered control mode B. KOS-MOS changed the form of her motorbike and drove it intside the top of the Dinah. Arm and leg units appeared as the spacecraft changed form.

"It's...it's an E.S.!" Shion exclaimed. "That's what Kevin was making! A mech specially designed for KOS-MOS!"

Then, the E.S. Dinah activated its weapon. KOS-MOS' eye color changed from a feirce red to a gentle blue. The weapon craft attached to the E.S. Dinah and fired a piercing laser beam at the black ship and the mysterious A.M.W.S. However, the mech disappeared before it can was wiped out. KOS-MOS fired another beam, destroying all of the black stealth ships.

-------------------------------------------------

In the cockpit of the E.S.-turned spacecraft, all was silent, except for Shion and Allen's heavy, labored breathing. If Jr. was here, he'd probably have a comment, but he's not here.

"I think..." Shion let out a sigh of relief. "...we're saved."

"God damn. I've never been so glad tosee KOS-MOS," Allen said, grinning. Shion laughed quietly.

"Enemy craft have withdrawn from sensor range," KOS-MOS stated. Her eyes changed back to red from the peaceful blue.

"KOS-MOS..." Shion said. "Thank you," she finished after a short pause.

A loud beep was heard inside the craft. "Shion, there's a transmission," Allen said. "You want me to take it?"

"A transmission? Sure, go ahead."

"_Yooo, Miss Vector! That was quite a show you put on out there!"_ a gruff voice said over the transmission.

"I know that voice!" Shion said.

"_Hey? If you're alive, say something already!"_

"Captain!" Shion cried happily. Just then, the Elsa appeared from warp jump.

_"Hurry up, dock that thing and come onboard! Who knows what else could be out there?" Captain Matthews said. Shion nodded. _

"KOS-MOS, take us in," Shion said, pointing at the opening E.S. bay of the newly-remodled Elsa.

"Affirmative. Docking commencing."

--------------------------------------------------

Shion and KOS-MOS stepped onto the bridge of the Elsa and looked around. Allen staggered in after her, his hand on his forehead. "Ugh, after-effects..." he muttered, leaning against the wall for support.

"Yeah, those were some mad moves you two pulled out there," said Hammer. "I'm surprised that you're not dead!"

"I feel perfectly fine," Shion said, arching her eyebrow. "Oh well. It's probably nothing."

"Shion!" Momo ran over and threw her arms around Shion. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she said. Then, Momo noticed the red mark on Shion's neck. "Hm? Shion, what happened to your neck?" Momo looked at Allen, who was straightening from the wall. "Allen, you have one too!"

Shion and Allen quickly moved their hands to cover their lovebite marks. "Oh, um, don't worry about it...it's nothing, Momo!" Shion said quickly. The young realian shrugged. Jr. fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, laughing hysterically. He pounded the ground with his fists, tears running down his cheeks. He was trying so hard to keep his bladder contents inside his body.

"Hm. Okay," Momo said as the rest of the crew laughed.

Still blushing, Shion turned to Captain Matthews. "Captain! We owe you one!" she said.

"Ah, you're welcome," the older man said. " Looks like you're causing trouble like always!"

"Yeah, something kind of happened at First Division," Shion said.

"Judging by the marks on your neck, I'd say the same," Jr. said, still laughing.

"Yeah, what a coincidence!" Tony exclaimed from the front of the bridge. "Both of you getting lucky at the same time! Wow!"

"Yeah, imagine that..." Allen said, smirking.

"Hey, is there something between you two that you haven't told us?" Hammer asked, cracking his back.

The entire bridge was silent, until...

"**They got busy!"** Jr. yelled, jumping up and down. chaos also let out a small snicker. Matthews, Hammer, and Tony all stared at Shion and Allen, wide eyed.

"I-Is it true?" Matthews asked, bewildered. "Did you?" Shion nodded, her face the color of Jr.'s hair.

"No!"

Everyone stopped to stare at the pilot, who was shaking in his seat. "I won't believe it!" he cried, pointing at Allen. "There's no way he could have gotten Shion!"

"Ya moron! Shut up and be happy for the two of them!" Matthews said.

"Yeah, Tony! Be nice!" Hammer sneered. The result was a bulky boot smacking him in the back of the head. "Ow!"

"I won't have my crew acting like a bunch of toddlers!" the Captain said angrily. "So, Ms Vector...where were you off to in such a hurry?"

"Well, I can't put it into words very well, but I felt I had to go to Old Miltia," Shion said.

"What!"

"What? What's wrong, Captain?" Shion asked.

"Representative Helmer asked us to go to Old Miltia, too. I didn't think there was anyone else crazy enough to head there," Hammer said.

"Yeah, Helmer asked me to go there, too!" Jr. said, finally sober. "Besides, that's where the original Zohar is."

"Canaan and I have business on Old Miltia as well. Representative Helmer asked me to analyze Canaan's data," said a calm voice from behind Shion. She whirled around to see Jin standing over her, smirking.

"It-it's you!" Shion pointed at him and jumped backwards. She clapped her hand over her neck again, hiding the bite mark.

"Shion, I already saw it..." Jin said, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"So, everyone's headed to Old Miltia..." Hammer said. "Makes our job a lot easier!"

"KOS-MOS was amazing back there!" Allen said, putting his hands on Shion's hips, causing Tony to cringe in pain.

"Yeah, even I was surprised. And that's saying something!" Jr. said, grinning. Suddenly, he jumped backwards and screamed, looking at the floor.

"Jr., what's wrong?" Momo asked, concerned.

"Oh, it's a quarter..." Jr. said, holding his heaving chest. "Man, that surprised me!"

"Jr., that's a dime..." Hammer said to the little gunslinger. Angered, Jr. wailed his newly found quarter/dime at Hammer, nailing him right in the forehead.

"Anyways..." Jr. took a deep breath. "But who was that enemy? It even dodged KOS-MOS' attack! I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Yeah, I wonder about that myself," Shion said, furrowing her brow.

"All right, lemme say something! Jesus Christ, it's basically impossible to get a word in edgewise here!" the disgruntled Captain said. "Our next destination is Old Miltia, right? I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but it looks like we have to go, so let me know when you're ready to set out. Until then, go take a look around the newly remodeled Elsa!"

"Yeah! We'll show you two around!" Jr. told Shion and Allen.

"Okay, sounds good," Allen said.

After a tour of the new kitchen and bar, they came into the new cabins. "Pretty cool, ain't it?" Jr. asked. "See, they changed the beds on the bottom so that they're double beds. I thought that was pretty ingenious!"

Allen sat down on one of the beds. "Hey, these feel nice..." Allen said. "Come on, Shion, let's try it out," he said, winking. Shion grinned.

"Gladly!" She laid down lext to him on the bed and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Dah!" Jr. yelled. "There shall be no coitus here!" Quickly, he grabbed Shion and Allen by their collars and pulled them off the bed. The Vector couple fell to the ground with a sickening thud and muffled cries of pain. "And no acts of osculation either!"

"Heh, little man knows some big words," Jin said, smiling smugly.

"Ugh...I think my arm is broken..." Allen said, standing up.

"And my ankle..." Shion muttered.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After they had toured the rest of the ship , Shion and the others returned to the bridge. "Yo, we're ready to go! Fire this baby up!" Jr. said, standing below Captain Matthews' seat.

"Okay, you got it! Hey, Tony! You heard that, right? Hit it!" Matthews said.

"Loud and clear, sir! Yeehaw!" he whooped, firing up the ship's engine.

"Momo, how's the enemy fleet trace?" Hammer asked.

"They're headed for point E-52 at combat speed," Momo said, checking her monitor.

"Damn, they've got some guts to be charging in there that fast," Tony said.

"That just shows how desperate they are. Course, at this rate, we're never gonna catch them," said Matthew nonchalantly.

"Captain, I must warn you," KOS-MOS said in her monotone voice.

"What is it? Make it quick."

"If we continue to proceed along the present course, it is highly probable that the enemy will leave a force to intercept us," she stated. "It is prudent to assume that this ship will eventually suffer an extensive and unacceptable level of damage."

"She's right, you know," chaos said, placing his hand on the android's shoulder. "We're going to have to find another way ."

"Look, I get what you're saying, but how the hell are we supposed to do that! This isn't a highway, you know. It's not like we can just take a detour or somethin'!" Matthews said, slightly annoyed.

"Actually, there is a detour..." Momo said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Really, Momo?"

Momo hit a few buttons on the control console. "I've detected a small-gap in the gravitational fields between the two black holes. If we fly through it, I think the chances of enemy detection would drop significantly," she said.

"...Hey, are you outta your mind?" Matthews asked the 100-series realian.

"Right. Even if we made the slightest mistakes, we'd be caught by the gravitational field and dragged into the Abyss," Shion said.

"I guess it's impossible..."

"What? Impossible? Hey, hey, who do you think you're talking to here? There's no way Tony "Numero Uno's" gonna turn down a challenge like that!" Tony proclaimed cockily. _Besides, now I can convince Shion that I'm worth more than that Allen creep!_

"_No you're not..." the voice KOS-MOS rox rang in his head._

"Aah! Voices!" Tony screamed, throwing his hands over his head. That earned him a few odd stares. "Uhh..."

"There he goes again... Once that moron gets started, there's no stopping him," Hammer said.

"Daaaah! Whatever! Do whatcha want... But you'd better not even think about getting' a scratch on my Elsa!" Matthews said.

"Don't worry! Leave it to me! MOMO, I'll be counting on you for a route!" Tony said, his green eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Okay!" The realian happily complied as Tony boosted the Elsa into warp speed towards the black holes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Elsa approached the two black holes, Hammer narrowed his eyes at his control console. " Whoa, radar and sonar are both dead! We're not getting any readings..."

"It's almost like we'd be better off flying blindfolded..." Tony said. "Which I would try, by the way!" he added after a moment.

"Tony, I've detected a massive distortion in the space ahead of the Elsa. A large mass is about to gate out!" Momo cried.

"What? They're gating out here?" Tony asked.

Suddenly, a large space station appeared between the two black holes. Everyone on the Elsa gasped.

"What the hell is that?" Matthews probed.

"Damn, where were they hiding that thing?" Jr. stared at the object, wide-eyed. Many incoming enemy ships appeared around the space station.

" It's moving into Elsa's flight path. 180 seconds to impact!" Momo said, frightened.

"Tony, can we avoid it?" Matthews demanded.

"Negative! It's taking up the entire gravity well. If we screw up, we'll get pulled into the black hole."

Jr. pounded the railing above Hammer's navigator seat with his fists. "Bastards! They're not gonna let us through no matter what!" he snarled.

Silence hung heavy in the bridge of the Elsa.

"The only thing left for us to do is to make them move," Matthews said. "Little Master, can we take them out from the inside?" he asked Jr.

Jr. pulled out his gun, twirled it around, and fired a bullet at the Elsa's bulletproof view window. He watched it fall just in front of Tony, who jumped in surprise. "Yeah...yeah, if we can get inside, that is," he said.

"Tony, maintain present course and increase to maximum speed! Hammer, disengage all weapon safety locks! Don't worry about aiming! Just let loose with everything we've got! We're gonna dive smack dab into that thing's belly! It's time you guys showed me what you're made of!" Matthews yelled enthusiastically.

"You got it!" Hammer whooped.

"Aye aye, sir!" Tony hollered.

Tony slammed on the accelerator, taking the Elsa towards the mysterious station. It shot some laser beams at the smaller ship, but the Elsa nimbly dodged. Tony roared at the ships as the Elsa's weapons fired, destroying some of them.

"Take that, you bastards!" Jr. yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

Suddenly, an enemy beam had hit the ship's left side. The force from the blast caused the ship to rock violently. All of the passengers were knocked around. Jr. Had to grab onto Hammer to stop himself from falling. Shion fell backwards as the ship tilted downwards, heading straight for the front view window. She closed her eyes and cried out helplessly as her body left the ground, waiting to feel the excruciating pain of falling onto the glass and possibly dying...

But then, she felt a strong hand enclose around her wrist as she stopped falling. She slowly opened her eyes to see a pair of bright blue ones staring back at her. The man's fingers were wrapped firmly around her wrist.

"Allen..." she said in a frightened whisper, feeling the tears coming. Somehow, Allen had managed to wrap his leg around one of the gaps in the railing and catch Shion.

"Shh, it's alright..." Allen whispered soothingly. "Grab onto my wrist." Shion reached grabbed Allen's wrist with the same hand that he was grasping, creating an almost unbreakable link between the two of them.

"Please," Shion begged in an urgent whisper, tears falling from her emerald eyes, "don't let go!"

"Shion, I'm never letting go..." Allen reassured her quietly. To further his point, he reached down with his other hand and held onto her other wrist. Shion closed her eyes, more tears squeezing out from the corners.

"It's alright...don't cry..." Allen said calmly. "Shh..." Shion tilted her head up and looked into Allen's eyes, feeling reassured almost instantly...

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"Can't you get this thing in reverse? Jesus Christ!" Matthews yelled.

"Almost got it..." Tony said, pushing on the accelerator. "Got it!" He slammed the steering wheel forward and the Elsa straightened itself. Allen untangled his leg from the railing and got to her feet, pulling Shion up and into his arms. Her body was shaking violently, as this _was_ her second brush with death for the day.

"Thank you..." She said, burying her face in his chest. Allen pressed a kiss against her forehead and gently rocked back and forth, trying to calm her nerves.

Hammer now had four cuts on each cheek from Jr.'s fingernails, as Jr. was clinging to him for dear life. "Ow. Ow. Jr., you can let go now..."

"Oh, sorry!" Jr. said. He cleared his throat before saying, "Okay, then! That was a little rough, but we made it. There's no time to waste! Let's hurry up, get inside there, and take it out! That's a pretty big fortress, so we'll take the E.S.s!"

"How are we going to ride?" Ziggy asked.

"You and Momo can go in E.S. Zebulun. Jin and I will go in my baby, Asher. Shion, Allen, and KOS-MOS can go in the Dinah, since it can hold three. chaos can ride in the cargo space of the Asher. It's a bit cramped, but it's the best we can do," Jr. commanded.

"Sounds good!" Momo said, beaming.

"Alright. Let's get ready to rumble!" Jr. said.

The group proceeded to the hangar and prepared to launch the E.S.s.

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**Well, there's chapter 6. This one was a fun one to write, especially the Shion falling part. The instant I saw that in the game, I said "It should have been Allen. Dear Lord, it should have been Allen." So, I made it Allen.**

**Uhh...I have no questions for this chapter. Yeah. Uh, R and R please!**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	7. Intoxicating Amour!

**Chapter 7 has arrived! Man, I can't wait until the plot finally starts to change…unfortunately, that won't be until the Patriarch battle…**

**Neo: -Is disguising himself as a bush- Psst. You can't see me. **

**I see you! –Huggles Neo- **

**Neo: Ah, crap. –Sigh- Anyways, KOS-MOS rox does not own anything mentioned in this story. Well, except Tony's sanity. But that doesn't count.**

**Yes it does.**

**Neo: No, it doesn't.**

**YES IT DOES!**

**Neo: No, it doe- What's the point of even arguing with you about this?**

**On with the chapter!**

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**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 7: Intoxicating Amour!**

"Wow, it's bigger than I expected…"

"Heh, I'll bet that was something you _didn't_ say that night, Shion!"

"Jr., can you be any more immature?"

"Yeah, Jr., was that supposed to be an insult or something?"

"Will you guys **be quiet**?" Jin said, breaking the squabble between Shion, Allen, and Jr. over the loudspeakers of the E.S.s. "We need to concentrate here, or we'll wreck."

The small group of mechs was navigating down a narrow passageway, attacking the occasional patrol robot. Once they reached the elevator, they all groaned as they saw that it was locked up tight.

"Alright…allow the '_Asher-bomb'_ to handle this!" Jr. exclaimed excitedly. "Yeehaw!" he yelled as he attacked four round balls that were obviously the locking mechanisms. Once they exploded, the elevator began descending to the level below…

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Our heroes went through the airlock at the bottom of the elevator shaft. "Check it out! Let's dock these babies here!" Jr. said, moving Asher's arm to point at an E.S. hangar just ahead.

"Do you think they'll mind us using their docks?" Allen asked sarcastically.

"Well, they're just going to have to live with it," Ziggy said.

Once the E.S. Asher was docked, Jin swiftly leaped to the ground, landing with barely a noise. "Pssh, I can do that…" Jr. said. He mimicked Jin and jumped down. Then, his body flipped in midair so that he was falling headfirst. "Agh! Someone catch me!" he cried. Jin sighed and caught the boy in his arms…then dropped him to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Ugh…" Jr. said, rubbing his head. "You could have at least been gentle…"

The E.S. Zebulun was next to pull into the hangar. Momo positioned herself on Ziggy's shoulders as he climbed down from the cockpit. He lifted her up and set her down on the floor. "Thanks, Ziggy," she said. The cyborg nodded.

"Um, Jr., is your head okay?" she asked, walking over towards the redhead. He lost the ability for everything but mad giggles when he though of how he had kissed her the previous day.

The E.S. Dinah was the final mech to dock. It floated gracefully into the dock as Jr. continued to giggle. KOS-MOS detached herself from the mech as Allen hopped down from the cockpit, followed by Shion.

"We ready to go on?" Shion asked. They group began walking towards the door.

"Yeah, but I have the strangest feeling that we're forgetting something…" Jr. muttered as they stepped through the door.

Ten seconds later, Jr. ran through the door into the E.S. hangar. He yanked the door to the Asher's cargo space and pulled out a half-suffocated chaos. "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Jr. said, helping the man to his feet.

"Air! I need air!" chaos gasped, clutching at the collar of Jr.'s trenchcoat.

"Jesus, man, relax!" Jr. said, lightly smacking chaos across the cheek. "We need to go!" chaos and Jr. headed into the next area where the others were.

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After many mazes and much debating on whether or not to push the buttons (Jr. almost had a nervous breakdown because KOS-MOS, Shion, and Allen were telling him to push the button while Jin, chaos, and Ziggy were telling him not to) our heroes got back into their E.S.s and entered a large, open room. "Look, another switch," Allen said.

"This time, I ain't pressin' it!" Jr. said.

"My name is Richard!" a chilling voice echoed throughout the room.

"That voice!" Ziggy yelled.

"They were the ones chasing us on that highway!" Jr. snarled. Two large mechs flew down from the ceiling and landed in front of our heroes. One was a pinkish-gray, wielding a large sword. The other was dark blue. In its right arm was a large beam staff.

"I assume you remember. I'm sorry, but I have no time for games. Honestly, I grow weary of these encounters. I've had enough of you!" an angry voice rang from the pinkish craft.

Jr.'s hands tightened on the gun control. "Don't shoot yet…" he whispered to himself, clenching his jaw. Jin flexed his slender fingers before lightly placing them on the navigation shafts.

"…**_Now_**!" Jr. screamed as Jin whirled the Asher around and pointed the arm at the opposing crafts.

"It's just a coin…" Jr. said, grinning as he fired the machine gun. The pilot of the smaller mech grunted as the bullets collided with its outer shell.

"Why you little!" The pilot of the dark A.M.W.S. growled, ready to attack the Asher with its weapon. It was quickly stopped by the Dinah as KOS-MOS sent an array of laser blasts at it, not missing once. The Zebulun also contributed much firepower.

"Jr.! Watch it!" Allen yelled as the pink craft came dangerously close to making Jr.'s A.M.W.S. one limb short.

"Quit being a backseat driver!" Jr. grumbled as Jin put the mech in a position to fire again. The lighter A.M.W.S., Pilum, whacked the E.S. Asher with its sword, leaving a large gash. The pilot sneered and went for the Zebulun instead.

"Damn…" Jr. muttered. "I just had it repainted too…"

"KOS-MOS! Fire!" Shion yelled as KOS-MOS began blasting the dark craft with more lasers. "How are you guys doing over there?" she called to Ziggy and Momo in the Zebulun.

"We need a little help!" he grunted, barely blocking angry strikes from their opponent. The young realian pilot cried out as she tried to blast the pink mech with the Zebulun's twin arm rifles.

"Momo!" Jr. cried. "Jin, let's go help them out!" Jin nodded and moved the Asher quickly behind Pilum.

"Hey you! Face! Yeah, you! I'm talkin' to you!" Jr. yelled at the enemy. "Look over here!" The pink craft turned to look at the Asher, and in one fluid motion, Jr. shot the rifles of the Asher, blasting off the arm that held the sword. It clattered to the ground, and a long silence lingered.

Richard yelled suddenly, "Hermann, I'm abandoning the mission! We're outta here!"

"But…Richard! The Mistress told us to-"

"Who knows what else these psychos are gonna do to us?" Richard had begun to panic. "Let's go!"

The group heard a heaving sigh from the darker craft as the two of them sped from the room. "Wow! That was easier than I thought!" Jr. shouted, amazed. He laughed in triumph as Allen tilted his had backwards to look at Shion, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

"Hey, Jr., wanna push the button?" Shion asked, laughing. Jr. immediately sobered.

"Huh-uh! Not again!" Jr. yelled, grabbing his head. "I won't suffer another breakdown! I _won't_!"

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After Jr. had finally worked up enough courage to press the button, a walkway formed itself above the room that they were in. "That won't do us any good if we're still in our E.S.s…we should go and dock them again," Ziggy pointed out.

Our heroes disembarked from their mechs. Several P.S.S. soldiers, some elevator and box puzzles with insanity that rivaled that of Wilhelm, and an _incredibly_ annoying transporter maze later, they found themselves in the core of the citadel. As Shion and the others stoof at the top of the stairs, they looked at the vast room at the base. A lone woman knelt in the very center of the room, her back facing them.

"Welcome to this holy confessional. Come in, you filth," she said. Her voice was laced with poison.

"What?" Jr. began down the stairs, jumping two at a time. The rest of the group followed him.

"There is nothing to fear. No matter what you do, there is no escape from this place. Now, confess your sins. I will listen to anything, even from the mouths of foul beasts like you," the woman said calmly.

"D-d…" Jr. stammered. "You damn _bitch!_" he spat.

"I see. You do not wish to admit your sins. You will leave me no choice but to rip you apart." The mysterious woman stood up and turned around to face the group. She had white-blonde hair, pulled up on the right side of her head. In one swift motion, she drew a beam sword and dagger, one green, one blue.

"Who are you?" Shion demanded, pulling out her M.W.S.

"My name is Orgulla," the woman revealed, her eyes glinting evilly. "And I protect that which matters most."

"What do you want from us?" Ziggy asked.

"The Master wants you dead," she stated matter-of-factly. "And it doesn't look like I'll have any trouble eliminating you beasts."

"God damn, you _are_ a bitch!" Allen snarled, walking up beside Jr. Both men (well, one and a half men) fired their pistols at Orgulla. She nimbly dodged every bullet before going after Jr. with the beam dagger.

"Dah!" Jr. cried, moving out of its reach. The woman growled and went for Allen with the sword.

"Repent your sins, pigs!" she yelled, angrily swiping in the air. Allen quickly sidestepped, shooting at her. Again, she dodged.

"I'll burn you to a crisp!" Shion yelled, firing her weapon. chaos powered up his gloves and sent an aura blast at Orgulla.

"Don't touch me!" Orgulla spat after she was hit by chaos' blast. She pulled what looked like a pistol from out of nowhere and fired it at Ziggy. "Take this and die!"

"No! Ziggy!" Momo ran up behind the woman and shot an arrow into her back. Enraged, Orgulla turned around to face her, yanking the arrow from her back. Jr. grunted and dived in front of Momo, knocking her out of the way of the sword. Jin ran up behind the woman and swiped at her with his katana, but she dodged it easily.

"Do those eyes even work?" she asked sarcastically. KOS-MOS powered up her minigun and held it to Orgulla's head.

"I will proceed to eliminate the enemy threat," she said.

But before she could fire, Orgulla ducked underneath the gun and flipped behind Jr., holding the dagger to his neck. "This world…no, _this universe_, belongs to Ormus!" she yelled. Orgulla threw her head back and laughed hysterically.

"Jr.!" Momo cried.

"Nothing's working…" Shion said. "Unless…Allen!"

"What?" Allen asked.

"Let's do what we were talking about on the shuttle to the Dammerung!" she said. "Ziggy! Here's what we need you to do…" Shion whispered in Ziggy's ear.

"Uh-huh…yeah…hmm…" he said. "Wait, what?"

"Just do it!" Allen said, grinning. The cyborg shrugged as Shion walked over to Allen.

"chaos! Get Jr. out of her arms!" Shion yelled. chaos nodded and sent a ball of aura at Orgulla's arm, knocking Jr. from her grasp. She hissed and advanced for chaos.

"Hey, look over here!"

Orgulla turned her head slowly to see Shion and Allen standing in a pose that looked exactly like the beginning stance of Dual Spell Ray. "You ready?" Shion whispered to Allen.

"I was born ready…" he replied.

Shion fired up her M.W.S., exactly as in Dual Spell Ray. But then…

Hehehe. _Rawr_.

Shion looked up and winked at Allen. He grinned in return. Suddenly, Shion threw her weapon aside and wrapped her legs around Allen's hips, kissing him passionately. Orgulla raised her eyebrows as her mouth dropped open. Slowly, Allen moved his lips down Shion's neck, and Shion moaned his name repeatedly. She cried out in pleasure as he opened his mouth on the crook of her neck and inhaled slowly. Shion ran her hands through his tan hair as he began to remove her jacket.

Ziggy, seeing a chance to the task assigned to him by Shion and Allen, snuck up behind Orgulla and yelled, "_Intoxicating Amour!_" He delivered a fatal blow to the back, slamming his metal leg into her spine. She fell to her hands and knees, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and fell over.

"Damn, where's your sting...?" she said weakly before her name was changed to "the late Orgulla".

The rest of the group (minus KOS-MOS) stood wide-eyed, looking back and forth between Ziggy, Orgulla, and Shion and Allen. The couple was still engaged in their steamy liplock/triple tech attack. "Shion, Allen, it's over…" Ziggy said.

"Oh!" Shion pulled away from Allen and wiped off her lips. "Well…uh…ta-dah?" Shion said. Allen laughed nervously.

"…W-wow…that was…" Jin said, not blinking.

"I didn't see_ that_ one in the strategy guide!" Jr. exclaimed, rapidly flipping the pages of the Xenosaga Episode II guide book.

"Well, whatever it was, it worked," chaos said, smiling. "Let's move on."

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**A/N: You have no idea how much fun I had making up that double (triple!) tech attack. Sorry for the shortness…the next one will be longer. Chapter 8, "Ontological Shock", will cover from the destruction of the core of the Stronghold to the descent to Old Miltia. And _yes,_ I did get the title of the chapter from The Matrix…-Runs-**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	8. Ontological Shock

**We're "La Resistance", and we want to save Terrance and Phillip and stop the war and stuff! **

**Neo: Either that, or _bring the friggin' people the rest of the friggin' story!_ –Fumes-**

**Fine, fine! Please, buddy, do the disclaimer! I know you can do it, you're The One!**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox doesn't own Xenosaga! But you see, it _is_ the greatest video game ever. And I've seen a lot of video games. And a lot of spoons. But…there is no spoon. And the problem is choice. And I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico!**

…**th-thanks, Neo…**

**And as an added note, and an answer to many of my readers, yes. Yes, there _will_ be romance for Jin. Unfortunately, it won't be until the early chapters of my version of Xenosaga 3. That's right, DKdL gets a sequel!**

**And for the sake of the story, chaos' eyes shall be blue from now on. There's been controversy between me and my friends on what color his eyes are…they're blue now. XP**

**------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 8: Ontological Shock**

"Hehehe! Let's just blow them up! Let's blow all the freaking losers all the way to freaking hell! Yeah! Hehehe!"

"Jr., calm down!"

The red-head pyromaniac cocked his head to the side. "Actually, I think _you_ should be the one to calm down, Shion! That attack back there, MAN…" he said. "I'm surprised Jin hasn't made it so that Allen can never ever be a father!"

Allen shot Jin's sword a wary glance and gulped.

"That's not what a sword is for…" Jin said calmly. "And besides, I might want a niece or nephew someday…"

Allen expelled a sigh of relief. "But…then again…" Jin muttered. In one quick motion, he drew his sword and swung at the area just below Allen's navel. Allen froze, his blue eyes the size of saucers. "Maybe I won't…" Jin re-sheathed his sword and looked at his sister, whose mouth was wide with horror and disgust.

"Jin! What did you do?" Shion snarled as Jr. waved his hands in front of Allen's face. The taller man remained frozen in place.

"I was merely making a point," Jin shrugged.

"Oh my God, I don't think he's breathing! Jin, I'm gonna kill you!" Shion yelled as she ran over to Allen. "Allen…" she murmured into his ear. "I know you can hear me…" Shion grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in, opening her mouth against his.

Allen inhaled sharply as he snapped back to reality. "Holy-" he gasped. "H-he could have killed me!" Allen said, pointing at Jin, who winked at Shion.

"That looks like the self destruct device. Let's activate it," Ziggy said, nodding towards some fuses on the floor just beyond where Orgulla was kneeling.

"All right! Let's light it up and blow this thing like Shion does to Allen! We'll show 'em!" Jr. whooped. He cried out as he felt Shion's foot smash into his shin. "Ooh, ooh, there's barely any skin there, only bone…" he whimpered, limping away from her. KOS-MOS' shotgun materialized in her arms, and she shot at the four fuses on the floor. Jr. jumped around merrily, giggling. Apparently, his shin was feeling much better.

"Okay, this place is going up in 30 minutes! Let's get back to the Elsa!" Jr. cried, grinning.

"Can you say 'funny farm'?" Allen whispered to Shion. She laughed and elbowed him in the ribs.

"I don't think Jr. can!"

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After a long, _long_ trek back to the E.S.s, everyone in the group felt as though their ears were about to fall off. For the past twenty-two minutes, Jr. had been talking non-stop.

"…and then he came back to life! Smith shot him! But then Trin brought him back! It was crazy! Crazy and awesome!" Jr. concluded. "Hey, we still have eight minutes left! Let's roll!" he said, climbing up into the E.S. Asher. Jin followed suit.

"Do I have to go in there again?" chaos asked, pointing at the cargo hold.

"Yes," Jr. said quickly, shoving chaos in before he had a chance to react. He heard muffled cries of pain and anger from behind the metal door as he shut it. The rest of the party entered their E.S.s, not expecting what was going to happen next…

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Before the group of mechs could board the elevator, the E.S. Issachar appeared in the open air above them.

"Really!" The female pilot scoffed. "Neither my subordinates nor the Patriarch's toys are of any use. The Inquisition will not allow you to escape."

"No!" Jin yelled. He quickly clapped his hand to his mouth, hoping the others hadn't heard him. The opposing mech descended towards the group.

"Disengage your weapons and surrender!" Pellegri shouted. The E.S. Zebulun began firing its lasers at it in a vain attempt to shoot it down. Pellegri laughed and evaded its blows. "I repeat. Disengage your weapons and surrender!"

"This place is full of bitches!" Jr. snarled. "Jin! I'm leaving the weapons up to you. I'll handle navigation. The Asher's got moves like Willie Parker! We'll shove it in her face!"

"Right! KOS-MOS, set the E.S. Dinah's weapons to maximum output!" Shion commanded.

"Affirmative."

"Momo, are you ready?" Ziggy asked.

"Yes!" the realian happily replied.

"Come on, Jin! Let's shake this mech up and give chaos some bruises!" Jr. said, his eyes beginning to glow red.

The E.S. Dinah was the first to attack. On Shion's mark, KOS-MOS fired the arm rifles at Pellegri's E.S. She laughed again and easily evaded.

"M-man!" Jr. stuttered. "That's had some special tuning! Ah, well, it's no match for Asher! Jin, get ready to fire!" he yelled.

"Come on, come on…" Jr. muttered, waiting for Issachar to come into range. "Now!" he yelled to Jin. He closed his eyes, awaiting the beautiful sound of flying bullets to fill his ears…but it never came. "Huh? Jin?" the red head said, looking down at his co-pilot. Jin was sitting below him, his head hung, hands trembling on the controls.

"I-I can't do it…" Jin said, his voice shaky.

"Whaddaya mean you can't do it? She's right in the crosshair-AGH!" Jr. cried as the E.S. Asher was hit by the E.S. Issachar.

"Jin!" Shion yelled. "What was that?" Her brother didn't reply.

"Jr.!" Momo said as Ziggy began navigating over towards the E.S. Asher's location. "Go away!" she yelled, shooting the E.S. Issachar in the back. Pellegri grunted and whirled her mech around to face the Zebulun.

"Oh no you don't!" Jr. said, quickly switching the weapons back to himself. He raised the Asher's arm and fired the shotguns at Pellegri. She fought her way out of the deadlock and ran behind the Asher, whacking it repeatedly with its spear. The mech became more and more damaged after every second, but was unable to move because of the Zebulun's position. The sharp point of the weapon penetrated the cockpit of the Asher, jabbing Jr. in the back of the arm.

"Agh! Momo, move!" Jr. yelled as his arm began to bleed.

"Wait, Momo, don't move!" Allen said. KOS-MOS is in perfect position to fire!" Allen said.

"Allen is correct," KOS-MOS stated. "Shion. I will proceed to eliminate the enemy threat," she said. Shion nodded.

"KOS-MOS, f-"

_Ping_

Everything except for Shion froze. Shion gasped and looked around for Nephilim, but she wasn't there. Instead, just in front of the E.S. Dinah, Shion could see the little brown-haired boy. He looked to be about six or seven now. Their green eyes danced for a few silent seconds, but then the boy's head whirled to the right. His eyes brightened and he beamed as he began running towards the right. Shion looked next to him and saw Pellegri, leaning over with open arms. The child practically dove into her arms as Pellegri began to smile also. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss against his forehead. She picked him up, and they both looked directly at Shion…

"What? Pellegri? But…why?" Shion whispered to herself. Before she could say anything else, the two disappeared and the room returned to normal.

"Awaiting orders, Shion," KOS-MOS said. Shion nodded again, but before she could give KOS-MOS her orders, she lurched forwards and gasped, grabbing her head.

"Shion, are you okay?" Allen asked. Shion raised her head again, but her eyes were glowing bright green.

In the cargo hold of the E.S. Asher, chaos cried out and grabbed his chest. "Wh-what's going on?" he asked himself.

"KOS-MOS! You can't shoot her!" Shion cried desperately.

"What?" Ziggy asked.

"Why don't we just kill her?" Jr. snarled.

"Uh, I mean…" Shion's eyes began glowing brighter. "This place is about to fall apart! If we don't get out now, we're gonna die!" she cried. "We'll let her master take care of her! Let's bail out while we still can!"

"Actually, that sounds like a good plan," Momo said.

"Right," Allen said. Shion's eyes returned to normal as the E.S.s proceeded up and out of the deteriorating citadel.

"You! You can't run from me!" Pellegri screamed. "**Cowards!**" Just before the area gave way, she sped out of the stronghold, moving in the opposite direction of the heroes' mechs…

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"_Hey, Sakura!"_

"_Nigredo!" Sakura said. Nigredo climbed the steps to the porch in the subconscious domain and sat down next to Sakura on the swing. He brushed a few strands of black hair out of his eyes and turned to look at her. _

"_Yeah. Uh, sorry Rubedo couldn't be here today, he and Albedo are suspended from the dive for a day because of the stunt they pulled in the recreation center," Nigredo said, pulling both legs onto the swing and holding them to his chest._

"_It's okay. Those two can be wild sometimes..." Sakura's voice trailed off as she looked at the sky, her eyes dreamy. She was probably thinking about Rubedo… "Besides…this has something to do with what I told you the other day, Nigredo. If I tell anyone else, I'll probably get into huge trouble with my dad…" Sakura said._

"_Ooh, awesome! Tell me!" Nigredo said excitedly, jumping off the swing._

"_There's an anomaly in her system," Sakura whispered into his ear. Nigredo stepped away from her._

"_Seriously? Wow, that's intense!" Nigredo said. "What's the worst that could happen?"_

"_If something goes wrong, she could end up destroying the entire star cluster…" Nigredo looked at Sakura, his green eyes wide with fear and awe…_

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"Ah!" Gaignun inhaled sharply and his eyes snapped open as he woke up. He took a few deep breaths as he looked around at his darkened bedroom. "Shit…" he muttered, running his hands through his hair. Slowly, he stood up and slid on a pair of pants (while all of the rabid Gaignun fangirls ran about, screeching wildly) and a shirt before walking out of his room and to the Durandal.

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On the Dammerung, Wilhelm sat in his office, his head down on his desk. Suddenly, he raised his claret eyes and looked into the Compass of Order. "Ah, he's growing acute sensitive to loss...there's no way he could have handled being responsible for her death…" Wilhelm muttered to himself.

"Master Wilhelm? Who are you talking about?" Red Cloak asked, making Wilhelm jump out of his seat. When Wilhelm's heart stopped pounding, he turned to face the Testament.

"Why did you startle me like that?"

"You…fell asleep at your desk…" the Testament muttered.

"Oh. Well, in that case..." Wilhelm stood up. "I'll be right back," he said before walking towards the door. "Oh, and one thing…do _not_ look into the Compass. You will be sorry…" The CEO walked out the door.

A minute passed, and Wilhelm hadn't yet returned. Red Cloak sighed and crossed his arms, rocking back and forth on his feet impatiently. He stole a quick glance at the Compass of Order, noticing that it was spinning faster on its axis than usual.

"That's weird…it wasn't going that fast before two days ago…" he muttered to himself. He began to twiddle his thumbs. The anticipation was getting the most of him.

That was when curiosity overcame him. Slowly and quietly, he crept over to Wilhelm's desk, put a finger on one of its edges, and closed his eyes. An image from two days previous flooded his mind, something he never would have wanted to see in a million years…

"**_What?_**" he snarled, falling backwards over Wilhelm's chair. Immediately, Wilhelm ran into the room, looking for the source of the scream. The Testament stood and charged at Wilhelm. He reared back and sent his fist at Wilhelm's face, when…

"_Asato ma sad gamaya…" _Wilhelm muttered under his breath. His claret eyes began glowing as a red aura surrounded him. Red Cloak cried out as his fist swung back at his own nose, which was protected by the mask.

"Stop hitting yourself…" Wilhelm said, smirking. Red Cloak growled and went at Wilhelm again, but Wilhelm ducked behind him and held both of his arms behind his back, restraining him.

"What did you see?" Wilhelm demanded loudly.

"I…I saw…" Red Cloak panted. "I saw Shion…and…and…"

"Oh dear…" Wilhelm muttered. "You saw…from two nights ago…"

"Yeah!" the other man growled. "Why is that on there?"

"It…it was necessary…" Wilhelm tried to explain.

"No! It wasn't necessary!" the Testament said, breaking out of Wilhelm's arm bar. "You promised me! You promised that I could…" The red-clad man sank to his knees. "Why? Why did it have to be like that?"

"Listen to me," Wilhelm began, pulling the man up from the ground. "It is in the nature of humankind to dwell on the past, but then we go on. On and on. We don't stop where it hurts. We turn a corner. It is what we were here to do. Turn a corner," he mused. "Ms. Uzuki discovered that a few days ago…my only question is…when will you?"

Red Cloak glanced over him as he spoke. Wilhelm was smaller than him, but yet he spoke so strongly. "B-but…"

"Take the rest of the evening off. You've seen a lot," Wilhelm said, placing a hand on Red Cloak's shoulder. The man nodded and left the office as Wilhelm sat down at his desk, sighing.

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"Hurry, Captain! We're going to be pulled into the Abyss with the fortress!"

Shion and the rest of the group had docked their E.S.s and entered the Elsa's bridge.

"Shut up, I know!" Matthews boomed at Shion. "Tony, what's up?"

"It's no good, Captain. The Logical Drive was damaged in the battle. We don't have enough thrust," Tony reported. "Hammer!"

"I'm working on it!" Hammer hissed at his pilot counterpart. "Damn, thrust is down 40. It's no good. She's still dropping!"

"What the? Who the hell slammed the ship into this place, anyway?" Tony asked.

"Well it was the Captain's idea, but Tony, you're the one who did the slamming!"

Hammer stated.

"God, who do you think you are? Carlton Banks?" Tony snapped.

"Shut up! Quit your bitching and do something already! You wanna die here!" Captain Matthews said, slamming his fists against his armrests. He had clearly had enough of Tony and Hammer.

Some of the wreckage got pulled into the black hole as the Ormus Stronghold began to fall apart. The Elsa rocked violently and Momo clung to Jr., not wanting to fall as Shion had. Jr. blushed and held onto her shoulders as the ship lurched again.

"We're losing it, Captain. We can't get away!" Tony cried.

"At this rate, we're not gonna last another minute!" Hammer began to panic.

Another explosion blasted the Elsa, and Jr. almost fell forwards. Jr. grabbed onto chaos, who grabbed onto Canaan, who grabbed onto Jin, who grabbed onto Allen, who grabbed onto Shion, who grabbed onto KOS-MOS. "Haha, human chain…" Jin snickered as KOS-MOS slowly pulled them up.

"There is a 99.998 chance that you all need to work on your balance," KOS-MOS stated bluntly.

Suddenly, a great green light appeared outside, shining through the view window. "Hey, what the hell's goin' on?" Matthews demanded.

"Captain, look!" Shion exclaimed, pointing outside.

Jr. looked out the windshield with relief and awe. "It's…it's the Durandal!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Spiking my hair, doo doo doo, spiking my hair with gel-el-el…aww, that doesn't rhyme…" Nigredo hummed as he stood in front of the mirror in the variant's quarters, a tube of styling gel in his hand. That was his way of being "different" from all the other U.T.R.V.s, besides his hair and eye color of course. Today he was going to go with a new style…half spiked up, half smoothed down…he got strange looks from all the non-variants, but Rubedo and Albedo loved it._

_As he narrowed his green eyes at his reflection and tried to get every strand as straight as possible, his mind trailed off to the events of two days ago, and earlier that day. "An anomaly in her system? I wonder what could be wrong…" he muttered to himself. "I wonder what her name is…and what she looks like…"_

"_Wonder who looks like what?" a nasally voice from behind him asked. Nigredo gasped and whirled around to see his light-haired brother, Albedo, standing behind him. _

"_Albedo…you could have given me a heart attack!" Nigredo gasped. "Are you guys up already?" Nigredo always had to get up earlier than his brothers if he wanted a chance to fix his hair…otherwise, it was nearly impossible to get into the lav._

"_Yeah, we just woke up," Albedo said. "Rubedo needs to shower and I need to go. So get out of here." Nigredo nodded and started out the door._

"_Wait, Nigredo!" Albedo said. Nigredo looked at him over his shoulder. "Who were you talking about? Who has an anomaly in their system?"_

"_Oh! Uh, n-nothing! Nobody!" Nigredo cried before tearing out of the bathroom._

"Master Gaignun?"

Gaignun snorted as his eyes snapped open, looking around the bridge of the Durandal. He looked in front of him to see Mary glancing up at him, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright, Master Gaignun?" she asked.

"Oh. Yes, Mary, I'm fine…" Gaignun said in a tone just above a whisper.

"O-okay then…" Mary blushed. "Um, we just recovered the Elsa. I'm going to open a communication with the Little Master."

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"_We go on. On and on. We don't stop where it hurts. We turn a corner. It is what we were here to do. Turn a corner."_

Wilhelm's anthem repeated itself over and over in Red Cloak's head as he walked towards his quarters. When he stepped into the room, he stood in front of the small mirror, looking at his reflection. "Dammit…" he muttered, sliding his mask off. He looked at himself in the mirror, running his hand through his blue hair. He glanced into the mirror, seeing the pale skin of his face and his dulled blue eyes looking back at him. "Kevin…look at yourself…" he said, sighing. "It's been two years…of course she's gonna move on…"

He had a hard time listening to himself.

The man sighed again. "God…I haven't felt this bad since…"

"_I will protect her…"_

_26-year-old Kevin Winnicot mumbled that mantra as his fingers worked their way across the keypad. Although he was only altering some of the commands on the archetype android, it felt as if he was trying to destroy the largest boulder in the universe with a plastic toy hammer. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath before continuing._

"_The plan will be put into action. I want you to do whatever possible to-" his mentor's words echoed in his mind._

_He made few more keystrokes before glancing at the angel that they had created…_

"_keep her out of harm's-"_

_The fear and guilt grew inside of him as he continued glancing over KOS-MOS._

"_way, for she will be the one to deliver-"_

_Kevin gripped both sides of the terminal and clenched his teeth before typing in the last commands._

_"peace to the world."_

"_Yes, Master…" his own words returned to him. Slowly and weakly, he repeated his young self, "Yes, Master…"_

_The man straightened and grew pale as he looked at the keypad's monitor. "My God…what have I done?" he asked himself before closing the terminal, being sure to delete all history of the commands he had made that night. He let out a shaky sigh before standing and holding his stomach, running for the restroom…_

"No!" Kevin yelled, snapping back to reality. He grunted angrily and threw his mask down, gritting his teeth when he heard the dull thud it made when it hit the floor. "Why, Kevin, why? You could have had it all…" The man stripped of his robe and collapsed on top of his bed, drifting into a restless sleep…

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"Elsa recovery confirmed!"

"The ship appears to have a damaged Logical Drive, and is incapable of flying under its own power."

The voices of a dozen 100-series realians rang out at once, shouting commands at one another. Mary glanced over her shoulder at Gaignun and said, "Well, at least now we can relax." Gaignun nodded as the communication window with Jr. opened in front of Mary.

"Hey, Mary," Jr. said tiredly.

"Oh, Little Master! Thanks goodness you're okay!" Mary said, relieved.

"Ah, well, I'm _okay_…" he said. "But do you think this is infected?" he said, showing her the large puncture wound on his arm. The sleeve of his red trenchcoat was wet with even redder blood.

"Ew," Mary said quickly, turning her head.

"Hehehe," Jr. giggled at her reaction. "What the heck are you guys doing here, anyway?"

"What? We came here to rescue you!" Mary said, cocking her head to the side. Suddenly, she caught sight of Tony and Hammer square-dancing behind Jr. She brought a hand to her mouth, starting to laugh.

"What is it?" Jr. asked. "You think this is funny?" Mary continued to laugh, even harder this time.

"Oh, so I'm humorous, eh? Well try this on for size!" Jr. cleared his throat. "Texas sucks!" he yelled at her, punching the air in front of him.

"No, Little Master! Look behind you!" Mary said, pointing over Jr.'s shoulder.

He flashed Mary a confused look before turning around. As soon as he caught sight of Tony and Hammer, he yelled, "Hey! Enough of that! We have enough _vibes_ here on this ship, especially with Shion and Allen making out at any given moment!"

"We resent that!" Shion hollered at him, removing her lips from Allen's.

There was a long pause, in which everyone stared at Shion and Allen. "Whoops…" Shion blushed.

"Master Gaignun instructed us to come here. He said if we let the Little Master handle everything, he was bound to do something reckless," Shelley finally explained.

"And it looks like he was right, huh?" Mary teased.

"Naaah! He's always treating me like a kid," Jr. growled. "So, where's the big shot at now, anyway?"

"Jr., I'm right here…" Gaignun said, popping out from behind Mary.

"Oh, there you are. Didn't see you there," Jr. said. "It's too bad that you didn't…er…_adopt_ me when I was a little baby…you would've been great at peek-a-boo!"

A clunking noise was heard on the Elsa"Elsa recovery complete," said a 100-series.

"See you guys on board!" Jr. said. Just before the monitor went black, Mary could hear Jr. saying, "Oi! Shion and Allen, what did I tell you two about that?"

Laughing at him, she said, "He's hopeless…" before resting her head against Gaignun's chest.

Shelley grumbled something inaudible.

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"Ah, smells like home…" Jr. said, deeply inhaling the scent of the Durandal. "I'm gonna go get a band-aid…or a gauze patch…or just some Neosporin or something…" he said, pointing to his arm. The shorty jogged away from the group and towards the Infirmary.

"I'll be right back, you guys," Allen said, going off into opposite direction. The others headed towards the bridge.

About ten minutes later, Shion, Ziggy, chaos, and Momo stepped onto the bridge, and were greeted enthusiastically by Mary and Shelley. Gaignun stood next to them, shaking hands with all of them.

"Welcome back to the Durandal, Ms. Uzuki," Gaignun said formally.

"Thanks…for…you know, saving us," Shion said. Again, she looked at Gaignun oddly just as she had done when they first met. As she passed him, he glanced at her. _It's growing stronger…there's no denying it now…_ he thought to himself.

_What's growing stronger?_ Jr.'s voice echoed in his head as he saw the red-head enter the bridge.

_Nothing. Never mind._ Gaingun replied.

_Whatever…_

"Ooh, Shion, where's your new beau?" Mary asked Shion.

"I actually don't know where he is right now," Shion said, looking over her shoulder anxiously.

"Yeah, Shion where's your new beau?" Jr. mocked. "God! He's all she thinks about anymore!"

"Oh, yeah, and it's _much_ better with you and Momo flirting every time I turn around!" Shion joked.

"Pssh, okay, and every time I turn around, I see you and Allen fu-"

"Did somebody say my name?"

Shion's heart leaped into her throat at the sound of her lover's voice. She turned around to look at him, her jaw dropping when she saw him.

"Woah," was the only thing she could say.

"H-he got rid of the uniform!" Jr. yelled, smiling and jumping up and down.

It was true. Allen had changed out of his Vector uniform. He was wearing a black polo shirt tucked into blue jeans. His hair was gelled up in the front, showing off his crystalline blue eyes. This time, Shion, not Jr., was the one who could only stare. He was _hot_!

"Well?" Allen asked.

"Wait! Guys!" Jr. shouted, his voice echoing throughout the bridge. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "Shion's transmitting me her thoughts!" he said. "Okay. From now on, whatever I say right now will be Shion's words, not mine." Jr. cleared his throat before exclaiming in a very high-pitched voice, "Oh! My! God! People, look at Allen! He is so smexy! Look at those eyes! Those big pretty eyes! And that ass! Ooh, I feel like I'm going to explode just looking at him!" Jr. threw his head back and moaned dramatically before continuing. "Oh, Allen! Take me now!"

Jr. ran over to Allen and stuck his ass in Allen's face. _"C'mon, take a bottle, shake it up! Break the bubble, break it up!_" he sang. He faced Allen and began dancing dirty to him, singing, "_Pour some sugar on me, ooh, in the name of love! Pour some sugar on me, c'mon, fire me up! Pour your sugar on me, oh, I can't get enough! I'm hot, sticky sweet from my head to my feet, YEAH!_"

As Jr. continued his odd little tribute to Def Leppard, Allen stared at him with a look of utter disgust. Shion glared at Jr., her teeth bared. She walked over to him and smacked him across the face.

At the sound of her palm whacking his cheek, everyone on the bridge fell silent.

"Ooh…that's gotta hurt…" Mary winced.

"I must say," Jr. said, eyes wide, index finger in the air, "I deserved every inch of that slap."

"Ew. He was sweaty," Shion said, rubbing her palm against her thigh. "Allen…you look…amazing!" she said. "Just let me do one thing," she said, sexily sliding her hands below the waistband of his jeans and untucking the shirt. "That's better…" she whispered before kissing him.

Jr. growled as he shouted, "No! We are on our way to freaking Old Miltia! There shall be no freaking on the way to freaking Old Miltia!" He began to fume. Everyone in the bridge looked at him, confused.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm good," he whispered. "So what's the enemy's status?" he asked Shelley.

"I'm afraid I don't have very good news," Shelley stated grimly. "The Immigrant Fleet has already descended into Miltia."

"Damn. We don't have much time. If we don't hurry, we're gonna lose the Zohar. Move the Elsa into the Foundation's dock. Have it repaired to Captain Matthews' specifications. We're goin' right back out," Jr. said.

"Ooh, y'all will probably have a chance to go to the beach first! We'll be docking at the Foundation in a minute, and it'll take a little while to repair the Elsa!" Mary said before exiting the bridge.

"Good thing I got a new swimsuit…" Allen muttered.

"Yeah, thank goodness!" Jr. cried. "That old one hurt the eyes! It was like acid! Pinstripe acid!"

A transmission beep was heard from Shelley's terminal. "Little Master, there's a transmission from Helmer. Shall I accept it?" she asked.

"Yeah, hook us up."

The communication hologram popped up, and Helmer's face appeared. "Helmer. I'm sorry. We let them get ahead of us," Jr. said, looking at the ground.

"It's all right. It's more important that you're safe. I'm glad you made it back," Helmer said.

"So, what's the situation now?" Jr. asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm afraid the news is grim. It seems the Parliament's been thrown into complete disarray," he explained in barely a whisper.

"What's going on with the Federation fleet? Don't tell me they're just standing around watching?" Jr. said in disbelief.

"No, they've already been deployed on a descent mission, but it's too late," Helmer said. "As long as the possibility exists that the enemy already has the Zohar, the Federation can't make any large-scale overtures."

"So I guess it's up to us now," Jr. said determinedly. There was a pause in which everyone looked at each other solemnly, worried about what could happen if U-TIC got the Zohar.

"I'm acutely aware of the danger, but there's no one else we can turn to right now. Please lend us your aid," Helmer spoke, breaking the silence.

"All right. We'll get the Zohar. You can count on it!" Jr. whooped, shutting off the communication monitor.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Woot! The beach!"

"Woot?"

"Yeah, woot!" Jr. yelled, pointing towards the water. "Last one in has to use the same bed as Shion and Allen!" he exclaimed, pulling his t-shirt over his head and running towards the clear blue water.

"He's an idiot…" Shion sighed, watching as he dove headfirst into the water. Frantic cries of "Ahhh! Too cold! Too cold!" followed. They looked into the artificial ocean to see the Little Master splashing around, trying to get out. When he finally stepped ashore, he rolled around in the sand, trying to get warm.

"Wh-what is _that_?" Shion asked, pointing at Jin's swimsuit…loincloth?

"That's my swimsuit, Shion," Jin stated nonchalantly. Shion gasped and covered her eyes.

"I have an idea!" Momo suddenly yelled.

"What is it, Momo?" chaos asked.

"Let's bury Jr.!" she said happily. Jr. looked at her with a frightened expression.

"How about we _don't_ bury Jr. and _say_ we did?" Jr. offered.

No such luck for Jr. The dug a hole and put him in it, the sand reaching up to his neck. "Guys, I'm going to kill you!" he said through a clenched jaw. Momo kneeled in front of him and smiled, messing up his hair. "Ah! Hey! Not the hair!" He laughed. She noticed a bullet dangling around his neck.

"Jr., what's that?" she asked, pointing to it. "Is it a bullet?"

"Yeah. It's a really old bullet…ancient, even…" Jr. started, looking at it. "It's called 'The Magic Bullet'. Some six thousand years ago, the leader of a great nation was murdered. This bullet didn't kill him, but it was special nonetheless."

"What happened?" asked Momo, interested.

"The leader of the nation was struck in the back of the neck with this bullet. It came out the front…then completely changed direction to strike another leader in the side. It then went through the second leader's wrist and embedded itself in his thigh," Jr. said. "When they found the bullet, it was completely pristine. I think it's a load of bullshit, though. There's no way a bullet could do that."

Momo nodded. "That's interesting!" she said cheerfully.

Momo ran off to go play volleyball with chaos and Jin. Shion sat down one of the chairs under the umbrella. Allen settled next to her, resting his head in her lap. "Mmm…" she moaned as she closed her eyes.

"So…how are you doing?" Allen asked.

"Mmm…good…" she replied. "You?"

"Perfect…"

Lingering in the moment, Shion ran her fingers through Allen's hair, tugging at a few of the light brown strands. "I smell Axe…" Shion muttered, inhaling the sweet aroma.

"What kind?" Jr. asked form his burial spot two feet away from them.

"Why are you eavesdropping on us?" Shion asked.

Ignoring her comment, he said, "I wear Unlimited spray…Allen wears Essence spray…Gaignun uses Kilo shower gel, but he's not here right now…and chaos wears Touch solid. Which one do you smell?"

"Ooh, it's definitely the Essence…" Shion half-moaned. "That's the best scent…"

"No it's not," Jr. said quickly. "Unlimited is."

"To females, Essence smells the best," Shion stated.

"Well, to males and shims, Unlimited smells the best," Jr. argued.

"Why would you want to attract males?" Shion asked.

"What about Touch?" chaos called from across the beach.

But Shion didn't hear him…she already had her face buried in Allen's neck, smelling the beautiful scent that was Axe Essence. Allen groaned softly as her lips worked across the soft skin.

"Oh, great…and best of all, I can't move now," Jr. muttered, looking at the two of them. He wiggled violently, trying to escape his sandy grave. He stopped and panted, saying, "Man! How did they get this packed so tight?"

Shion settled herself on Allen's bare chest, moaning as he ran his hands down her slender midsection. "Oh God, oh God…" Jr. said, becoming more desperate to get out of the sand. He wriggled more, accidentally bumping a button on the weather controller in his pocket. Rain began to fall around the beach, and the volleyball players took refuge under the umbrella. "This _sucks_!" Jr. yelled, being pounded with rain.

"Mmm…it's raining," Allen said, kissing the sensitive spot just below Shion's right ear.

"I couldn't imagine a more perfect setting," Shion replied, cocking her head to the side, giving him more access. She moaned his name as he kissed her on the mouth, gently lapping her tongue with his own.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Jr. said, pretending to retch. The rain continued to fall as Jr. tried to find a way to shut it off. Despite the cold rain falling around them, Shion and Allen were hotter than ever. Jin began to fume as he thought he saw steam rising from their bodies.

"Mmm…uhhnn…Allen…" Shion's breathing had grown quicker and shallower. Jr. rolled his eyes and mimicked her until a cover of darkness came over him as chaos put a bucket over his head. "Hey! Get this offa me!" he screamed, his voice echoing in the dome.

"Bucket head!" He heard Jin snicker. With renewed determination, he jammed his knee into the side of the sand wall around him, shutting off the rain. He bashed his head against the front of the bucket and flipped it off of his head.

"Little Master," Shelley called from off of the beach, "The Elsa's repairing is finished. You should head out now."

"Right. Let's go, people," chaos said, leading them off the beach.

"Aw man…" Shion whispered to Allen.

"Later…" he replied, kissing her one last time.

They all exited the beach, leaving behind something very valuable.

Something they would have _hated_ to lose. And I say that with the utmost sarcasm I can.

"Hey! Guys! Wait for me!" Jr. yelled, kicking and punching the walls of his prison. chaos came onto the beach and grabbed him by the head, and in an explosion of sand, Jr. was freed.

"I guess this makes us even," chaos said, chuckling.

"I'll never be even with _you_!" Jr. said, brushing himself off with a scowl on his face.

"What, you mean height-wise?" chaos asked before running off the beach, laughing hysterically.

"You! I'm going to kill you!" Jr. growled, taking off after him.

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Matthews looked at the door to the Elsa's bridge as it opened. The group stepped on, fully clothed and ready to go.

"Yo, are we ready to head out?" he asked Shion and Jr. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright, Tony, hit it!" he commanded.

"Aye aye, sir!" Tony yelled. The Elsa shot off towards the Immigrant Fleet. They popped into Old Miltia at just about sunset…the elegant blend of colors in the sky were perfect and beautiful.

"Oh, wow! The capital looks like it used to!" Hammer said, pointing out the view window.

"Everything's exactly like it was then. Time has stopped in this world," Jr. said.

"The country of the hills of Mud, the land of Mu, was sacrificed. Being twice upheaved, it suddenly disappeared in one night. At last the surface gave way...and they sank along with their countries…" chaos mused.

"What's that?" Momo asked him.

"A fairy tale. A story about a land that vanished into the sea one night, long ago," he explained.

"Sacrificed... It definitely feels like it just looking of this place," Shion said absent-mindedly.

chaos nodded. "Yes…it does." _Just as he will be…the seventh dagger…_

"Attention passengers. We'll soon be arriving at the designated coordinates. There's no way we're gonna get any further in this big hunk of metal," Matthews said roughly. "So, if you wanna check inside any of those buildings, you're gonna have to do it on your own." Jr. nodded and narrowed his eyes, looking at his desolate home planet.

"All right, let's hurry up and get this over with. I don't wanna spend too much time here, you know?"

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**A/N: WOOT! I AM SO PHYCHED! Xeno 3 was confirmed! –Dances about merrily- And the Steelers are doing awesome! **

**Okay, question time! **

**What's up with Shion again? Her eyes, still! Who and what is Gaignun talking about? Who is "the seventh dagger"? Why did I mention JFK in here? **

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	9. Origins

**Insert witty opening statement here…-Yawns-**

**Neo: -Sweatdrop- Aw, come on…now I have to do everything myself! –Sigh- KOS-MOS rox does not own Xenosaga, or anything else mentioned in this fanfic. All she owns is the hope that Shion and Allen will get together in Namco's version of Xenosaga 3, which doesn't look probable especially since Red Cloak partially takes off his mask in the trailer and-**

**Way to make me feel good! Geez!**

**Neo: Sawree buddy…**

_**Bold Face Italics – Wilhelm speaking mentally**_

_Regular Italics – chaos speaking mentally_

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 9: Origins**

"All right! Let's finish this!" Jr. said as the Elsa made its landing. Canaan stepped towards the view window.

"This area used to be the capital of Old Miltia. The area up ahead was ground zero fourteen years ago," Canaan said. "It was filled with U-TIC Organization facilities. The area that handled the most important research was..."

"Labyrinthos. The original Zohar should still be sleeping deep inside it," Jin finished Canaan's statement.

"Rubedo, your objective is to secure the original Zohar, correct?" Canaan asked.

"Yeah," Jr. said. He noticed Shion staring out the view window, a look of puzzlement on her face. "Shion? Shion, are you all right?" he asked, waving his hands in front of her face. She shook her head as her eyes snapped alert again.

"What? Ah, yes," she said. After a second, she whispered to herself, "Cecily and Cathe may be there as well…"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Now we can finally analyze the data in my head…" Canaan smiled.

"Yes. We should hurry," Jin said.

"I agree. The Immigrant Fleet should already be here, but it's really quiet. That has me worried," Canaan said darkly, following the others off of the bridge and into the E.S. hangar.

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"Okay, here's how this is gonna work!" Jr. commanded, pointing at the three E.S.s. "Same places as last time, except that Canaan has to go into the Asher's storage compartment with chaos!"

chaos and Canaan looked at each other uncomfortably. "Do we _really_ have to…?" Canaan started to ask before he was suddenly shoved inside the small space. chaos shot Jr. a death glare before being thrown in headfirst, landing on top of Canaan.

Jr. shot the reader a smirk and pointed at them, saying, "That's for all you yaoi fangirls out there! Woo-hoo!"

"Um…yeah," chaos said before quickly scooting away from Canaan, bumping his head on top of the cramped space.

The E.S.s were launched from the hangar and into the submerged city. Soaked rubble littered the ground that the mechs stepped heavily on. "This is the capital, right?" Momo asked, looking around outside.

"Indeed it is," Jin answered. "Shion, we used to live right around here."

"J-Jin…" Shion said, trying to suppress her tears. But she couldn't hold them back forever…silent tears rolled down her childlike cheeks as she thought of her homeland, and what happened fourteen years ago…

"Come on, guys. Labyrinthos is right over there," Jr. said, pointing out the tower standing a bit beyond their location. "Shion? Are your speakers still working?"

"Yes, Jin," she said acidly, quickly wiping her eyes.

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The E.S.s pressed on through the submerged city. Jr. had been ranting because the E.S. Dinah and the E.S. Zebulun could float while the Asher could only move heavily on its metal legs. While ranting, he managed to crush every single enemy along the way, so that seemed to be a plus side to things. "Yo, guys, we're almost there!" he said, pointing at the tower looming in front of them.

"Jr….are you sure this is a good idea to just go charging in there?" Shion asked him.

"Yeah. We'll give 'em a show!" he yelled excitedly.

"That little manchild is hopeless," Allen muttered.

"What? I heard that, man!" Jr. growled.

"Guys, guys!" Ziggy said firmly. "Now's not the best time to fight."

"Yeah, yeah…" Jr. scowled at Allen. "I'll get you someday…and your dominatrix too!" Shion looked at Jr. as if he had a procession of gnomes filtering out of his ears.

"What? Do I got gnomes comin' out of my ears again?" he asked, sticking a finger in his ear.

"What the…?" Allen started to say.

"Yeah, gnomes," Jr. explained. "They were coming out of my ears. Maybe I dreamt it…" Allen shook his head as the mechs furthered on the puddle-ridden street.

"Why is this damn thing not working!" an unfamiliar voice rang from just to their left. Jr. turned to look, confused. He saw a mechanical cannon as more voices were heard from within.

"External speakers?" he wondered aloud.

"We have mobilized all units, but we're all exhausted from training earlier. May I-" another voice said. The sound of skin hitting skin and a cry of pain cut him off.

"Line up, maggots! Did you pansies already forget your training! Do you know how bad you made me look! Listen to me! What you think means nothing! What you want means nothing! You do as I say! I am the boot in your buttocks!" the first voice yelled angrily.

"Was that…?" Allen asked Shion. "Wasn't he on the Woglinde?"

Shion gasped. "He was! That was…that was Commander Vanderkam! He was in Hangar 1, with the Zohar emulator!"

"Hee hee…he said 'buttocks'…" one of the soldiers snickered.

"You! What is your problem? Were you born that dumb or did your drunk mama slap you on the wrong end when you squirted out? Why are you laughing? Do I amuse you?" Vanderkam ranted. "I'm tired of all you pantywaist nitwits! You make me physically ill! Drop and give me a million! I will break you!"

"Hey! That was a good one!" Jr. grinned. "I'm beginning to like this guy!"

"Enemy unit discovered on deck! Standby!" one of the soldiers stammered just in time.

"What did you say!"

"Dammit! They found us!" Jr. yelled.

"All hands, prepare for battle! Target the Vector A.M.W.S.!" Vanderkam commanded.

As the men prepared the cannon, floating mechanical shooters flew up around it. "This is not a drill! Show me everything you've got!"

Just as the cannon was about to fire, obliterating them all, Jr. screamed, "Wait!"

"What do _you_ want?" Vanderkam asked, stopping the attack temporarily.

"Hey…let's settle this the right way," Jr. said, grinning. "We're both pretty witty guys. Let's say that the guy who out-insults the other gets his way. Whaddya say, pal?" he offered.

"…Alright, smartass. We'll go along with it," Vanderkam agreed after a moment's hesitation.

"But we gotta warn ya…nobody has _ever_ outdone him! He's the king!" the first soldier chirped.

"He may be the king…" Jr. said, "But I'm the _Little Master_!"

"Alright, maggot, present yourself!" Vanderkam said, stepping out from behind the cannon. He was a man of heavy stature, with a large, purple "X" tattooed on his face. Jr. hopped down from the E.S. Asher, whirling around to face him. Jr. busted into hysterical laughter as he say the tattoo on his face.

"Man…" Jr. scoffed, laughing. "God, what _is_ that? You wear so much makeup, that you leave a clown imprint on your pillowcase!" he said, pointing at Vanderkam. "If Moses had seen your face, there would have been another commandment!"

"And look at you!" Vanderkam yelled, guffawing. "You're so short, the only thing you can measure up to is the free kiddie cone cutout at the ice cream shop!"

"Ah!" Jr. snarled. "Big guy, are ya? If fat were gasoline, you'd have enough to circle the planet THREE TIMES! I hear that you were so ugly as a child, your mother nursed you through a straw!"

"I heard they had to burn down the school to get you out of the last grade you were in!" Vanderkam yelled. "Which was it, 3rd?"

"Oh! And you…you're so dumb, the only thing you read is the back of a cereal box!" Jr. screamed.

"At least I don't fit inside of one!" Vanderkam retorted, smirking.

"What _is_ this?" Ziggy asked Jin.

"I don't want to know…"

"Oh yeah, lizard lips?" Jr. screamed, furious. His face turned the color of his hair as he spat, "You have less backbone than a chocolate éclair! Hit me with a real one!"

"You're so ugly, that when you suck a lemon---the lemon makes a face!" the older man yelled.

"Your origins are so low, you'd have to limbo under your family tree!"

"You're the culmination of years of major genetic mishaps!"

"Oh, _nobody_ insults the U.R.T.V. background!" Jr. hissed. "You're so dumb, you think manual labor is the president of Mexico! Hit this man with a good one, now!"

"Your mother is twice the man you are!"

"Why don't you act like an adult and actually _hurt_ me?" Jr. smirked.

"Why don't you look like one?" Vanderkam sneered.

"Men like you are the reason why darkness was created!" Jr. said. Unlike Vanderkam, he still had a _lot_ of insults left.

"You…you're ugly! Like Idaho!" Vanderkam stammered.

"Hey, don't be dissin' the potatoes, fool!" Jr. said. "Wait…what is Idaho? Anyways, you're dying out! I got more insults than there's cops at a Dunkin' Donuts shop!"

"You're so dumb that…" the U-TIC officer began to sweat. "That you're dumb!"

"I thought so," Jr. scoffed, turning his back on the man. "I'll be going now. See you in hell, bucko." The Little Master had preserved his sacred name. He hopped onto the E.S. Asher and swung into the cockpit triumphantly. "Come on, Jin…let's roll!" he said as the E.S.s continued on the path to Labyrinthos.

"Oh, and by the way," Momo said to Vanderkam through the speakers of the E.S. Zebulun, "your mother."

"It's 'yo momma', Momo, 'yo momma'…" Jr. instructed.

Vanderkam watched as the three mechs gained more distance, a sense of odd wonder about him.

"Sir? What happened back there?" the first soldier asked.

"I don't know…" the officer muttered. "But I kinda like that kid."

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"Look. It's the Labyrinthos tower," Shion said once the mechs reached the entrance to Labyrinthos.

"Yeah, nice one, Captain Obvious…" Jr. muttered.

"Jr., the insult battle is over!" Shion snapped.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. You all know that I have a spastic tongue," Jr. said.

"How many spastic body parts can one have?" Shion asked.

"…seven…" Jr. admitted sheepishly. Shion and Allen busted into hysterical laughter as Jin and Ziggy just stared at him. Momo looked at him, confusion apparent in her amber eyes.

"I don't get it!" she said.

"Uh…I'll tell you later, Momo…" Shion said, trying to stop laughing.

Meanwhile, in the Asher's cargo compartment, chaos and Canaan were playing cards with a deck that Canaan had taken out of his pocket. "Got any threes?" chaos asked.

"Go fish," the realian responded, sighing.

chaos grumbled as he reached for the small pile of cards in between the two of them. "Ha! I got a three!" he exclaimed triumphantly, laying down his pair. Canaan groaned and stretched.

"You think they'll get to Labyrinthos soon?" Canaan asked his fellow refugee.

"I hope so…I can't stand another ride in this thing…"

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

"Yes, this is Labyrinthos indeed," Jin said. "We're pretty close now. Better get ready."

"But it doesn't look like we'll be able to go there in our E.S.s," Momo pointed out.

"Let's look for another entrance. There should be a small gap somewhere," Allen said.

"Right on, my Shion-loving friend!" Jr. said. He whirled around the Asher's guns and shot at the blockades around the sides, searching for an entrance.

Once they finally found one, they docked their mechs and started into the tower. Jr. suddenly stopped and started back for the E.S.s.

"Jr., what's wrong?" Momo asked.

"Damn, I almost forgot about chaos again…" he replied. "Ooh! Hang on!" Jr. said, pulling a tiny camera out of his pocket. He opened the compartment door and whipped the camera in front of his face, snapping about ten pictures. All he saw was chaos and Canaan looking at him, blinking.

"I thought that I would be able to blackmail you guys…" Jr. grumbled. He put away his camera and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You were planning that from the beginning, weren't you?" chaos asked, closing his eyes and sighing in exasperation.

"You know it, buddy!" Jr. said, winking.

"Anyways, let's make this quick," Canaan said quietly, swinging out of the cramped space and jogging to catch up with the rest of the group. chaos glared at Jr., who only flashed him an innocent smile.

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"What?"

"It's…it's a water puzzle!"

"I think we have to get past it to get to the core…"

chaos glanced at Allen and nodded. Allen grabbed Jr.'s hands while chaos grabbed his feet, and they dangled him over the edge. Jr. screamed like a girl as he felt them almost drop him into the water.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!" he screeched, flailing. His attackers heaved him upwards and laid him down on the floor, where he curled into a fetal position and began whimpering.

"You guys are so mean!" Shion said, stifling hysterical laughter. Jin looked as if he was about to explode with hilarity.

"Alright. Let's just solve this thing," Jr. said quietly, clambering to his feet. "Shion and Allen, you two each have half of a scientist's brain, I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Now, excuse me while I beat chaos to a bloody pulp!" Jr. yelled suddenly, tackling chaos.

Once the puzzle was finally solved, the group continued into the next room. chaos hobbled in behind Jr., his face contorted in pain. A chilling blast of cold air hit them as the door slammed shut, blasting them back into the wall. The lights came on, and a figure swooped down from somewhere above them. When they got a good look, they saw that he was a male who looked to be about chaos' age. His hair was purple and his eyes yellow, and an odd symbol was branded on his forehead. He sneered at them, his beady eyes bright with excitement.

"Who the hell are _you_?" Jr. demanded.

"My name is Gamma. I was created by U-TIC," the teen said in a voice that sent a chill down the group's spines.

"Shion. The symbol on his forehead is the character for the ancient Greek letter, Gamma," KOS-MOS stated.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm from the sorority of Sigma Whoop-Your-Ass!" Jr. yelled, pulling out his guns.

"Don't you mean fraternity?" Shion offered.

"Nope!"

"I was created to destroy you!" Gamma snarled, suddenly sending a wave of yellow energy at them. chaos dodged nimbly and ran to KOS-MOS.

"Ready, KOS-MOS?" he asked her, holding out his hand.

"Affirmative," she responded, taking his hand. They lifted up into the air and spun around, chaos' hands on her hips. He drew her in close to his body and twirled around.

Apparently, he got too close.

His lips brushed against her cheek…and then pressed against hers. KOS-MOS' eyes turned blue as chaos drew in a sharp breath through his nose and grasped her by the shoulders, greedily taking in whatever he could get. His eyes snapped open and he looked at her, dumbstruck. He let go of her, and she fell gracefully. Her eyes returned to normal as chaos dropped to the floor with a thud. His blue eyes were wide with shock.

"Wh-what the?" Allen stammered, staring at chaos.

"U-TIC menace boy! Right behind you!" Jr. warned Allen abruptly, pointing over his shoulder. Allen barely had time to turn his head before Gamma jabbed his hand into Allen's back. The brown-haired man fell to all fours on the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

Shion's eyes began to glow as Allen continued to cough, bringing up a bit of blood. "Guys, let's just kill him!" Shion said, pointing at Gamma. "Let's go!"

Shion turned to face the teen, furious. "You are the poster-child for U-TIC's evil!" she snarled, running towards Gamma. She mumbled something inaudible, and her hands glowed bright green as she send a blast of aura his way.

"Ha! You think that will destroy me?" Gamma asked insanely, dodging the blasts. His beady yellow eyes glowed as he threw more ether attacks at Shion. She leaped into the air, successfully avoiding every blast.

Shion landed on the cold floor, her back facing Gamma. In one fluid motion, she stood up and whirled around to face him.

"Bastard!" she yelled as her hands began glowing once again. She charged at Gamma, punching him in the face. Jr. came up behind her, hopped, and shot over both of her shoulders. Gamma stumbled backwards, one hand clutching his jaw, the other trying to stop the bullet wound in his stomach from bleeding.

"Put me in, coach!" Jr. yelled, holding out his hand. Shion nodded and smacked his hand before running to help Allen, her eyes returning to normal.

"Are you okay?" she asked, helping him to his feet.

"I'm fine…" he sputtered, leaning on her shoulder for support. She flashed him a concerned look before watching Jr. handle Gamma.

"Jr.!" Momo cried, starting over to help him. Ziggy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Momo, stay back here! He can handle it!" Ziggy said firmly.

"Eat this!" Jr. yelled, sticking out his guns. He fired off a round of shots at the teen menace, sneering. "Bye-bye!"

"Hm!" Gamma grunted as one of the bullets whizzed by his ear. He growled at Jr. and fired ether at him. The shorty arched his back to avoid the energy.

Jr. ran up to Gamma, got in his face, and screamed, "_Barbara Streisand!_" Gamma (as well as the rest of the group) looked at him with pure confusion in his eyes. Well, except for chaos…he was sitting on the floor, a look of shock on his face. His fingers seemed frozen to his parted lips.

"It's called…distraction!" Jr. yelled, whacking Gamma upside the head with the handle of the gun.

"You little sucker!" Gamma snarled, moving backwards.

"Hey! I'm not little!" Jr. retorted, firing at him once again. The U-TIC soldier ran for him, teeth bared.

Jr. struck a pose, his arms out to the side, feet planted firmly on the floor. "You can't touch me! I'm a tree!" he said to Gamma. Gamma arched his eyebrow and hit him with yellow aura, knocking him backwards over the heads of Shion and company. All of them (again, except for chaos) smacked their foreheads.

A dull _thud_ accompanied a gasp of pain as Jr. hit the wall, then the floor. Lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, he squeaked, "Who would attack a tree?" He tried to stand, hut his legs wouldn't cooperate.

"Jr.!" Momo yelled, tears forming in her amber eyes. She broke out of Ziggy's hold and pulled out her bow. Gamma stood, laughing manically. Momo snuck up behind him, closed one eye, and let go of the arrow.

Two arrows came through his chest, and one through his abdomen. His eyes widened and he fell to his knees, clutching his wounds. And with one final arrow to the head, he fell to the floor face-first. Blood poured from his body, staining the silver floor.

Momo stood above his body, breathing heavily, her bow raised. "Wow…Momo…" Shion stammered, shocked.

"That was awesome!" Allen said.

"Dude! I missed it!" Jr. yelled, quickly getting to his feet and running over to them. "High five!" he said enthusiastically, holding out his hand for Momo. She blushed and slapped it lightly.

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Wilhelm sat hunched over at his desk, his shoulders shaking with hysterical laughter. "Ah, Yeshua…in love with her again, are we?" he snickered.

_Don't say a word, Wilhelm…_ his brother's voice echoed in his head.

_**Yeshua! It's a shame we can't talk face-to-face again.**_

_I've told you, Wilhelm, it's not like that!_

_**I'm sure it isn't.**_

_Look…I have to go now. By the way, did you feel that a few moments ago? Something wasn't right…_

_**I agree. Yeshua, you must keep going. I will see you soon, dear brother…**_

chaos didn't answer. Wilhelm folded his hands in front of him, looking deep into the Compass of Order.

"I don't blame you, Yeshua, nor do I blame them…" Wilhelm muttered. "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"chaos? chaos!" Jr. shouted into chaos' ear. The previously dazed boy snapped from his mental conversation with Wilhelm and turned to face him.

"Hrm? What?" chaos asked.

"Man, you're really zoning out today…" Jr. said. "We're leaving! Let's go!" he shouted, pointing at the door where the rest of the group was proceeding out of.

"Oh. Okay." chaos quickly got to his feet and walked with the rest of them.

The next room was vacant…there was noting there, nothing except for some cobweb-like material strung over a passage in the wall.

"That's odd. This place somehow feels different than the others," Jin said, looking around at the room.

"You're right," Canaan muttered. "It almost looks like there were people still working here recently."

"Nanomachines gone out-of-control..." Ziggy said in an awed voice.

"I have heard of nanomachines making rooms and passageways on their own," Momo stated.

"No. No, it doesn't feel like that. This is more like...like some sort of consciousness is at work here…" Shion said, narrowing her eyes and arching her eyebrow.

"It's U-DO. Its presence has spread this far out," Jr. said in a small, slightly nervous voice.

"It would appear our destination is right in front of us," Jin said. Jr. nodded.

"Yeah. There's no time to lose."

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After solving yet another puzzle and riding an elevator to Labyrinthos' core, our heroes had finally reached their goal. "This must be Labyrinthos' main terminal," Canaan said.

"So it would seem. ... Canaan, the powerful protection placed on the data within you uses the wave pattern emitted by the Zohar," Jin said, patting Canaan's shoulder. "We should be able to remove it with this terminal."

"You don't have to explain the details. Just hurry up and get it out," Canaan begged. He sat down in the analyzer chair as Jin moved to the terminal, typed in the access code and opened the data file.

"Hey, just what is the data inside of Canaan, anyway?" Shion asked.

"Put simply, it contains the identity of the mastermind behind the Miltian Conflict," Jin replied.

"Hold on a second. The mastermind behind the Conflict was..." Allen began.

"Mm. The madman, Joachim Mizrahi. At least that's what everyone thinks. But just because most people believe something, doesn't necessarily mean that it's true."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"You're about to find out…" Jin pressed the enter button, and green text scrolled rapidly down the screen. Suddenly, something caught Shion's eye.

"Jin, scroll back up!" she demanded. "What was that? Something about a 'Divine Form'?"

"Divine Form…? Oh, yes…" Jin muttered, not bothering to scroll back up. "The Divine Form…where to begin?"

"Just tell us!" Jr. yelled impatiently.

"Alright, alright…" Jin smirked. "Just around the time when my little sister was born, a family wanted another child. They could not conceive a baby, so they took their problems to Joachim Mizrahi himself," he said. "Mizrahi agreed to genetically engineer them a daughter, since they wanted a girl. But, there was a small catch. Joachim wanted to be able to do genetic testing on her. The future parents regretfully agreed."

"So she's like a variant U.R.T.V.?" Jr. asked.

"No, not exactly..." Jin said. "It's hard to explain exactly what she is. Barely anybody knew about her anyways…Joachim didn't even tell his own wife. The only people who knew the truth about the Divine Form were Joachim, Sakura Mizrahi, Joachim's assistant, the girl's family, and a few U-TIC members who were very close to Mizrahi."

"But the information was leaked, by Mizrahi's daughter," Jin continued. "To a certain variant U.R.T.V."

"What? Sakura never told me about any Divine Form!" Jr. said, confused.

"That's because it wasn't you that she told. It was U.R.T.V. number 669, Nigredo."

"Gaignun? Why did she tell _Gaignun_? I mean, Albedo and I were always there with him! Well, except for two days…" Jr. said, memories of the recreation center, cheese, a refrigerator, and a remote control coming back to haunt him. He shuddered just at the thought of it.

"Joachim decided that the fact that Nigredo knew the information was not dangerous to the experiment. Just as a precaution, he was sworn to secrecy, and he probably still remembers today."

"Would this person know that she is the Divine Form?" Allen asked Jin.

"No, she would not. After every time she was experimented on, she had her memory of it wiped clean," Jin said. "She would have no idea that she was any different than anybody else."

"Once the Immigrant Fleet and Ormus somehow got wind of the Divine Form, they ordered for her to be killed somehow. They say that it happened two or three years ago. She was murdered," Jin said.

"That's…that's horrible! Who would do that to a fellow human being?" Shion asked.

"I don't know, Shion," Jin replied. "I am among the few people who don't think that the Divine Form is truly dead…I have reason to believe that she is still alive and redising right under our noses…"

"How do you know so much about this?" Shion asked.

"Shion, you really should read more," he answered.

"Honestly! I've been telling them that since I met them!" Jr. exclaimed.

"Yes, I figured that since you almost gave yourself a hernia with all of the books back at my store…" Jin muttered. "You go on ahead. I'll stay behind and send this data to Representative Helmer. Go and get the Zohar before the Immigrant Fleet does." Jin turned to face Canaan. "Canaan, please handle the data backup."

"Understood." Canaan nodded.

"Shion. My sensors indicate an object in the room just beyond us. It bears close resemblance to the Zohar emulators," KOS-MOS stated, pointing at the door. It was branded with the U-TIC symbol. The phrase "ISOLATION AREA" was written underneath it in bold letters.

"Right. Let's go," Ziggy said.

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The next room was pitch black and frigid. An eerie silence lingered inside of the dark corners, sending a chill down the group's spines. It was especially chilling since they knew that Jin wasn't with them, ready to kill at the slightest bit of danger…

"This is creepy…" Jr. said, finally breaking the sickening silence.

"My sensors are malfunctioning," KOS-MOS said.

"Mine too…I can't see anything!" Momo yelled, afraid. She clung to Ziggy's arm as they edged forwards bit my bit.

"Fools…such weak fools!" a deep, unfamiliar voice said from somewhere in front of them. An instant later, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

"Shion!" the whole group yelled at the same time. The lights flashed on, and they saw Shion being held in a headlock by Margulis, his sword held to her throat…

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**A/N: Mwahahahaha! DKdL's first cliffhanger! I've been waiting for a while to pull it on you!**

**Unfortunately, this story takes a more serious turn beginning with the next chapter, which shall be titled "When Doves Cry". Yeah, it's titled off of a Price song…shut up! LOL**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	10. When Doves Cry

**The end of this chapter…you folks will never see it coming. Seriously, NEVER. You didn't think I had it in me. You'll just have to wait and see what it is!**

**Neo: You're not very nice, you know.**

**I know…it's in my nature! –Grins-**

**Neo: -Sigh- KOS-MOS rox does not own Xenosaga, although she wishes that she did. If she did, it would be nothing more than one looooong, ShionxAllen kiss-fest. With some MomoxJr. And chaosxKOS-MOS. Well, it'd have a lot more romance.**

**Indeed it would! On with the story!**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_Previously in Die Kraft der Liebe:_

"_Fools…such weak fools!" a deep, unfamiliar voice said from somewhere in front of them. An instant later, a bloodcurdling scream rang out._

"_Shion!" the whole group yelled at the same time. The lights flashed on, and they saw Shion being held in a headlock by Margulis, his sword held to her throat…_

_And now, chapter 10._

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 10: When Doves Cry**

"You bastard!" Allen shouted, aiming his pistol at Margulis. KOS-MOS also pulled out her weapons and pointed them at the man.

"If you shoot, I will merely move in the way of the bullets," Margulis stated evilly. Shion's eyes widened in pure terror as he moved her dangerously, his sword almost cutting through her throat.

"Allen, just shoot him!" Shion whispered harshly. "Don't worry about me! Just kill him!"

Allen cocked his gun, but then hesitated. He furrowed his brow and grunted, trying to decide whether to shoot or not…

"Look at him. He knows he should shoot, but he won't…" Margulis muttered. "Pathetic!"

Shion cried out in pain and sobbed as Margulis made a small slit in her throat with his sword. Blood seeped from the cut, and Shion whimpered as she felt the warm liquid run down her chest.

"Now, put down the gun," Margulis said calmly, glaring at Allen. Allen scowled and set down his weapon. KOS-MOS, seeing that she had no chance to fire without harming Shion, also put hers away.

"You!" Ziggy snarled, letting go of Momo.

"Ah, how did you get this far anyways…?" Margulis asked. "I see. You obviously passed underneath the air defense…is that right, U.R.T.V.?" he asked Jr.

"Don't...don't call me that!" Jr. spat.

Margulis laughed manically, jostling Shion. His sword nicked her neck again, and tears of pain began rolling down her cheeks.

"That Helmer...he's certainly managed to assemble an impressive ensemble. But your coming here now is pointless. We've already accomplished our objective," Margulis scoffed. "The Zohar is now under our control. There's nothing you can do. The outcome is already decided."

"What the hell are you thinking? That thing is way beyond anything you can handle. Do you have any idea what's gonna happen?" Jr. asked, doing his very best to sound intimidating.

"Of course I do," Margulis stated matter-of-factly. "The annoying Gnosis as well as a few pathetic, weed-like humans, who are arguably even more worthless than the Gnosis, are going to disappear. Just like Ariadne…"

"You…you bastard!" Jr. screamed, pulling out his guns.

"But weak as your position is, we still can't allow anything to interfere with our plans." Margulis smirked. "Now, shall I kill her?" he asked, tightening his hold on Shion, causing her to gag. Everyone gasped as he went to cut her throat…

"Don't touch her. You've already damaged her enough," a voice said from above them. They all turned to look and see who it was…

"Jin!" Jr. gasped. Jin nodded. "Oh God, I've never been so freakin' glad to see you…"

"It's been fourteen years, hasn't it, Uzuki?" Margulis asked coolly. "Now, why does this woman have any importance to you? What if I were to just simply…" He made another cut in Shion's neck. Her eyes grew hazy as she was close to passing out…

"If you dare injure my sister…" Jin said angrily, "I will be forced to kill you."

"Oh, yes, I remember now…" Margulis muttered.

_The brown-haired little girl knelt beside the crying teen…_

"That means…" Margulis let out a small gasp before his mouth curled up into a sinister grin.

"It's a shame I didn't get to know you better…" the man said, running his hands through Shion's hair before tossing her aside. Allen quickly caught her and held her up, ushering her over to Momo so that the realian could heal her wounds with nanospray.

"The blade is for carving one's heart, not for turning against the masses. That's what our master once said, was it not?" Jin said, pulling out his sword.

"This is perfect. I can't believe you're still a part of this, Uzuki. Once again you insist on standing against me," Margulis said, laughing.

Jin tilted his head. "There were still a few things I wanted to look into. These people were nice enough to give me a lift."

"Absurd…" Margulis scoffed, cracking his neck.

"Nothing has changed here. You know, it was careless of you not to erase those records fourteen years ago," Jin said, keeping his head bowed. "Now you can never return to the Federation. Or perhaps, were you a bit too busy to worry about that at the time?"

"I see you still talk too much. Very well. If you really want to know..." Margulis raised his sword slowly. "You'll have to use that sword to make me talk!"

"Naturally! That was my intent!" Jin yelled angrily, jumping down from his platform to face Margulis.

"Do not expect this to end like it did before, _Uzuki_!" Margulis screamed, running towards Jin and swinging his sword at him. Jin quickly sidestepped and blocked Margulis' blade with his own. Sparks flew from the swords as the metal clashed together. The purple-haired man grunted as he spun around, trying to stab Jin from behind. Jin threw his sword backwards over his shoulder just in time, blocking the blow.

Jin whirled around, swinging the sharp implement that the author of this story wouldn't be trusted with right at Margulis' neck. The other man was faster, though. He kicked Jin in the chest, knocking him down. Jin's sword stabbed into the floor, getting stuck. Margulis kicked Jin's shoulder, knocking it out of its socket. The man cried out and let go of his sword, which was quickly recovered by Margulis.

Shion's eyes began to glow again. "You damn _bastard_! Don't hurt him!" she snarled, trying to run for the two men. Allen held her back from behind as she shouted more profanities at Margulis.

"Whoa, she certainly doesn't have a stunted vocabulary!" Jr. said, eyes wide. He then noticed chaos doubled over, coughing violently. "chaos! Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," chaos replied, gasping. He quickly righted himself and stood in front of Shion, holding her firmly by the shoulders. "You have to calm down," he said sternly, looking straight into her glowing eyes.

"…yes, Master," she muttered, her eyes returning to normal. She fell back weakly into Allen's embrace as she said, "Wh-what was that? Ooh…" She leaned against Allen and held her throbbing forehead, whimpering.

Through vision blurred by horrible pain, Jin saw Margulis charging at him with both swords. He shrugged desperately, trying to pop his shoulder back in. Once he heard the telltale click, he prepared himself for Margulis' attack. As Margulis swung his own sword at him, Jin caught it between his hands. The other man snarled and swiped at him with the other sword, but Jin twisted his hands, blocking the blade. Jin smirked and kicked Margulis in the ankle, knocking his feet out from underneath him. He recovered his sword and went after Margulis again.

More clashing and grunting noises rang in the ears of the group as Jin and Margulis continued their dogfight. Jr. watched in a horrified awe as Margulis jumped onto the railing in a catlike manner, balancing himself perfectly. He crouched down and propelled himself upwards, falling to the floor in a barrel-roll. He mustered up all of his strength and swung at Jin. Jin blocked it, but the force from the blow knocked him over. Margulis landed on top of him, pushing down on his sword. Jin panted, trying to keep Margulis' sword from touching him.

"It's been far too long, Uzuki. This feeling...of exhilaration!" Margulis said.

"I told you, I won't allow a monster like you to inherit my grandfather's technique!" Jin screamed, enraged. He kicked Margulis in the stomach, knocking him from on top of him. Margulis gasped and coughed as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Bold words from such a fool!" Margulis gasped. His scar glinted under a sheet of sweat in the dim lights.

"I shouldn't have spent my time running a used bookstore. I regret that now," Jin said, readying his sword.

"I'll make sure you die a painful death someday, Uzuki!" Margulis said, straightening himself, also preparing himself to attack.

Both men cried out loudly as they focused their power, a bright light engulfing the area. The group screamed as the bright light hit their eyes. Jr. wrapped his arms around Momo, trying to block the radiance from her eyes.

Margulis was thrown backwards, slamming against the wall and falling to the ground. Jin was also tossed out, but however; he landed safely on his feet. Smirking as he looked at his adversary, he said, "And that's kicking your butt."

Margulis stood, holding his right arm and panting. "You're as dangerous as ever. But no matter how hard you struggle, there's nothing you can do now," he said. "I hope you savor your abject despair. You're powerless."

The E.S. Issachar, piloted by Pellegri, flew up beside the edge of the railing. Margulis hopped onto its shoulder.

"Hey! Is that your female lackey in there?" Jr. asked loudly. "Hey, Pellegri!"

"What do _you_ want?" she hissed, glared at him.

"Uzuki. If you want to settle this, you'll have to survive first!" Margulis said darkly.

As the E.S. began to float away, Jr. screamed, "Yeah, that's right, lady! Go and get eaten by a dog, you bitch!" Pellegri glowered and flashed him a rude hand gesture before speeding away.

Margulis climbed into the cockpit above Pellegri. "Did…did you kill him?" Pellegri stammered.

"Oh, please! Don't tell me you're still…" Margulis began.

"It's not like that!" Pellegri said, cutting him off. "I merely would have commended you for your efforts if you would have killed him."

"No, I didn't kill Uzuki…" Margulis muttered. "I gained something much more valuable than that…" he said, glancing at his glove. A few strands of brunette hair glinted in the light as the mech launched out of Labyrinthos and out of Miltia's atmosphere…

Back inside Labyrinthos…

"Are…are you okay?" Shion asked Jin, who was staring at the spot where Margulis had just been.

"I've never felt better…" he said, distracted. "But, it will be a long time before my sword can rest…"

"Dude, do you have _any_ idea how wrong that sounds?" Jr. asked him, chuckling.

"Shion. My sensors indicate an object within the next room," KOS-MOS said, pointing at the door. "It is giving off readings extremely similar to the Zohar emulators. There is a 99.9 percent chance that it is the original."

"You're right, KOS-MOS," Shion said. _Cecily and Cathe are probably there!_ "Let's go!"

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As Jr.'s group stepped through the door, the majestic sight of the golden Zohar met their eyes. The blue jewel in the middle shone with an amazing light as they moved closer.

"Looks like we made it in time. Look, that's the Zohar. The original," Jr. said, looking over his shoulder at the rest of them.

Shion moved past Jr., her eyes locked on the Zohar. "This place... I saw it in my dream. The cage Feb's sisters were trapped in…" she said in an awed voice.

"Cage?" Allen asked.

"What cage?" Jr. looked at Shion as if she were nuts.

"Shion. I am detecting faint life signs in the capsules in front of us," KOS-MOS stated.

"Life signs?"

"That is correct. Their design is quite old. However, they are definitely Realians."

Shion slowly stepped a bit closer, looking into the pods on either side of them. Mist billowed inside of them and finally cleared, exposing its contents. What she saw she would never forget.

On one pod, the name "Cecilia" was written, and on the other, "Catherine." Inside, there were two horribly disfigured female Realians. Breathing tubes were inserted in their mouths, and they had wires stuck all over their bodies. Shion gasped and stumbled backwards, falling to her knees. "It…it can't be…That's…Cecily and Cathe…" she said, completely horrified.

Jr. arched his eyebrow at her and peered into one of the pods. "Ack!" he exclaimed jumping backwards, the color draining from his face. "Wait... You...you're saying that those are Realians?" he stammered, unable to tear his eyes away from the horrible sight in front of him. He began stepping back slowly, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"Jr.? What's wrong?" Momo asked. Jr looked over his shoulder urgently.

"Momo, stay back!" he warned, trying to block her view. But the young realian didn't listen…she peeked into the pod to the left of the Zohar and gasped in fright. She covered her eyes and turned away.

"Shion...what is that? It's horrible!" Momo said in a squeaky, terrified voice.

"It's horrible. I can't stand this!" Shion began to tremble as she cried out in disgust, "I'm...I'm sick of all this! I just... I can't take it anymore! I just can't! Uh!" Allen knelt beside her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Is there…any way we can help them?" chaos inquired.

"Unfortunately, because they are fused with the system, it appears they have already lost their individual functionality and consciousness," KOS-MOS stated brusquely. "In their current state, separating them from the system would result in complete shutdown."

Jr. growled, "Bastards! Why'd they do this?"

"Because using them in their natural state proved difficult."

"Huh? Who's there?" Jr. demanded, looking around for the source of the disembodied voice.

A beam of bright light shone from above, illuminating a single spot above the Zohar, standing on top of the head of a large mech. An old man stood there, clad in honey-colored robes. His hair was as pure and white. He narrowed his beady yellow eyes at the group.

"It was necessary to isolate their consciousness from the outside world," the old man spoke again.

"Who the hell are you?" Jr. snarled.

"Why would the leader of the Immigrant Fleet be here?" Jin asked, answering his question.

"There's really no need for me to answer questions from the likes of you. But very well. The Zohar. That object originally belonged to us - to Ormus," the man said menacingly. "Yes, since the dawn of recorded history, we have been its guardians. In turn, we use it in any way we see fit. That is the way of things."

"Ormus... So that's the real name of your organization," Jin said.

"That's right. Ormus has enlisted in the shadows since ancient times. Indeed, since before the crucifixion of the messiah. Human beings…no…all life throughout the universe must be guided forward by Ormus and the Zohar," the elder scoffed. "And they shall be led unto a higher plane of existence. That is the mission that god has entrusted to us!"

"Damn you!" Jr. hollered. Shion slowly rose to her feet, shrugging Allen off.

"You…you did this to them for _that_?" she insisted angrily through grit teeth.

"What? Is there a _problem_?" the Patriarch spat. "They are tools, created specifically for that purpose!"

"Shut up! I refuse... I refuse to accept this!" Shion shouted, shaking her head violently.

"You refuse?" he sneered. "Then, we'll just have to make you accept it!"

The Zohar began glowing even brighter as it began to resonate. "This power is granted to us by god!" the Patriarch yelled evilly.

Shion let out a loud gasp as she saw Jr. holding his head in his hands. "That's…"

"It's... It's the voice of U-DO! Stop the system! Now!" Jr. pleaded, the horrible ringing noise reverberating in his head, numbing his mind, causing his eyes to water… "If you don't, it's gonna wake up again!" he gasped.

KOS-MOS approached Shion, pushing her to the side. "Shion, please stand back. I will destroy the system and cut the bypass to the Zohar," she said, a large gun appearing in her hands.

"KOS-MOS, no!" Shion yelled, quickly moving in front of her, blocking her shot. "KOS-MOS, wait! They're still-"

"Shion. If you interfere, I will be required to take drastic measures," KOS-MOS cautioned her.

"No, KOS-MOS!" Shion cried. But before KOS-MOS could shoot…

_Ping_

The area froze in black and white color as everything fell silent.

"Shion..."

Shion gasped and looked over her shoulder, seeing Febronia and the little boy standing in front of the Zohar. He looked to be about eight or nine now. She slowly turned around, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Feb?" she asked.

"Shion...set my sisters free..." The realian opened her arms to Shion. The child looked up Shion with pleading green eyes.

"Do it for me..." he implored, his eyes fulsome.

"Yes, do it for the little one…" Feb said, placing a hand on the child's shoulder. "Do it so that he can have life…"

Shion's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Feb. "Feb... No, I can't!" she sniffed, a tear rolling down her right cheek. "Why does it have to be me? Why did you call me? I won't do it! I can't do it!" she sobbed, shaking her head and looking at the floor.

"Shio…you've always been this way. Such a kind child…" Feb said comfortingly. The boy looked at her solemnly, his brown hair shining in the white light.

"Feb…Feb…" Shion wept as she looked at the realian. Feb nodded at the boy, and Shion's eyes began glowing again. She turned back around to face KOS-MOS. "KOS-MOS, fire!" she said, stepping out of KOS-MOS's way.

Her eyes returned to normal as she threw herself into the open arms of her lover, crying. KOS-MOS fired her gun at the pods, breaking the glass and destroying Cecily and Cathe. Shion bawled into Allen's chest as the gunshots continued. She desperately rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away what she had seen.

"Foolish…truly foolish! It doesn't matter what you do now. You cannot stop this power!" The Patriarch yelled malevolently over the gunshots. The mech beneath his feet suddenly activated as it concealed the Zohar into its torso.

"It's…it's an A.M.W.S.!" Jr. shouted, terrified.

"It can't be! Proto Omega! It's been completed?" Jin asked frantically.

Oh? You know of it. I'm impressed. It seems I may have underestimated you slightly. These past fourteen years have been of great help to us, as has the data from the Conflict. As a result, we now have a symbol of overwhelming power," the Patriarch said over the rumble of the mech. "With this, we will wipe the Gnosis from the cosmos and place the entire star cluster under the jurisdiction of Ormus."

"Damn! You're bitchier than Orgulla!" Jr. snarled.

"Of course, we hardly need anything this overwhelming now, thanks to the U.M.N. and the Federation," he said, ignoring Jr.'s comment.

"I should kill you! Listen to me when I talk!"

"They've managed to reduce the people to a simple mass of spineless weaklings," mocked the Patriarch.

"That's it!" Jr. snarled, drawing one of his beloved Makarovs. "Lovebirds, outta the way!" he yelled, pushing Shion and Allen back and moving in front of them. He opened fire on Proto Omega, screaming angrily. KOS-MOS also began to shoot at it. The mech somehow absorbed every bullet, enraging Jr. His eyes began to glow bright red

"Wasting your time!" The Patriarch yelled, putting his hands up. A bright light illuminated the area, knocking the group backwards. "Now, let the festival begin!"

Proto Omega descended into the chasm below, and the room began shaking and crumbling. Jr. took a few frantic steps towards the door, tripping over his own feet.

"Guys, this is bad! We gotta go!" he exclaimed, starting through the door.

"Shion, let's go!" Allen said over the sounds of explosions around them. But Shion was well past hearing…she was numb to everything around her. All she could see was Cecily and Cathe running around that tree in the field, just as she had seen in the encephalon…

"Oh man," Allen said, hoisting Shion onto his back. She wrapped her arms lightly around his neck, her body wracking with quiet sobs.

"You got her?" Ziggy asked Allen.

"I'm fine!" Allen replied. Ziggy nodded before scooping Momo up in his arms.

"Thank you, Ziggy!" she said.

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The group made a blind dash back to the Elsa. It was pretty successful…Jr. only ran into one wall. After narrowly avoiding a large piece of falling debris, Jr. stumbled through the E.S. hangar airlock and onto the bridge. "Start the engine! Everyone's on!" he commanded.

"Yes, Little Master!" Matthews shouted. "Tony! Fire her up! Let's get outta here!"

chaos and KOS-MOS ran onto the bridge next, followed by Jin and Canaan. "Thanks for _coming to get me_…" Canaan muttered under his breath. "I could have _died_ if I hadn't had enough initiative to get out…"

"Quit your whining!" Jr. said urgently as the Elsa began to move. The others hurried to the bridge, trying to see out of the view window. Shion held her throbbing head as took a few deep breaths, her face hot and wet from crying. The ship accelerated and shot out of the submerged city just as Proto Omega erupted from Miltia. A blazing inferno surrounded the Elsa as it boosted off.

Fire exploded from the devastated planet, engulfing the federation's A.G.W.S.s. Their battleships also were taken over by the flames as the symphony of destruction around them continued.

Just as the Elsa broke Miltia's atmosphere, a loud explosion was heard. The looked quickly through the view monitor to see wings majestically protruding from the planet, breaking it completely apart.

Once the ship was at a safe distance, they all stared at the destruction. A replay hologram of the wings erupting from the planet appeared just in front of the view window.

"No…Miltia…" Shion sobbed, a new wave of tears coming. She tore out of the bridge and disappeared.

"Shion!" Allen said, starting to leave also. Jin grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back.

"It's my turn…" Jin said to Allen before departing from the bridge.

"They destroyed the entire planet? How the hell could they do that?" Jr. asked in a shocked voice. Matthews shrugged as the Elsa sped of to the Kukai Foundation.

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"Look at them…" The Patriarch said, giving off a laugh that rivaled the insanity of Albedo. He glanced at the view monitors around him, showing scenes from a few moments before.

"Reinforcements? Damn Federation... Do they really want to destroy us that badly? Hmph. It matters not. I'll show them the errors of their ways," he scoffed.

A hologram of Margulis appeared before him, kneeling. "Margulis. Take the fleet and eliminate them!" The older man commanded.

Margulis laughed gently as he thought of the man's impending doom. "What is it? Margulis, did you not hear me?"

"I think perhaps it would be better if you went yourself, Holiness," Margulis said matter-of-factly.

"What? Have you lost your senses, Margulis? I am your master! Now do as I say!" the Patriarch spat, glaring at him.

The hologram vanished and then reappeared standing behind the Patriarch. The man whirled around to face Margulis, fuming.

"Everything has translated exactly as we have planned. All that's left now, is for you to die a martyr, Holiness," the Inquisitor said, looking over his shoulder at the old man. "Besides, I think you'll soon be visited by a person you haven't seen for a long, long time…" Margulis said, smirking.

"Damn you! You can't mean…can you?" the Patriarch asked angrily and frantically, leering at the swordsman.

"I bid you farewell, Holiness..." Margulis said darkly before breaking the communication.

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"Alright, Jin…you can do this…" Jin muttered nervously to himself as he walked to the cabin on the newly remodeled Elsa that Shion had taken refuge in. As he stepped quietly through the door, he saw Shion with her head the table in the middle, crying.

Her ears perked up at the sound of footfalls behind her. "Allen?" she asked softly and hopefully, wiping the tears from her reddened eyes. She looked over her shoulder, groaning when she saw Jin.

"So this is where you went…" Jin said gently.

"Leave me alone." Shion turned around and began crying again.

"Everyone's already transferred to the Durandal. You should hurry up and…"

"I said leave me alone!" Shion shouted, her voice cracking. She let out a half-suppressed sob before burying her head in her hands.

Jin became silent, staring at his heartbroken sister. The sound of her sobs made him want to sob himself.

"It's just like it was fourteen years ago. It was exactly the same. Feb was…she was killed right in front of me," Shion said quietly in-between sobs. "I was all alone, I couldn't do anything myself, so I just ran!" she shouted, pounding her fists against the table.

"And again…I still couldn't do anything…" she said weakly before breaking down into tears again.

Jin sighed. "Shion…"

"Why? Why did it have to be me? I never wanted to feel like that again…"

"Shion…did you not understand what Febronia wanted?" Jin asked her, approaching her slowly.

Shion let out a small gasp as Jin said, "I think there was another whom she loved just as much as her sisters." He sat down beside her and set his arms at the table, looking at her.

"Another? Who?" Shion asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Another sister bound by the chains of her past. I think she probably wanted to save that sister just as much as her real sisters," he replied.

"Another…sister…?"

The author and the readers both attacked the screen with sporks, wishing that Shion wasn't so oblivious. "Don't you see? That's why she chose you and gave you that painful role," Jin said comfortingly, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Feb wanted…for me…" Shion gasped, looking at Jin.

"Shion…it's up to you, now, whether you choose to withdraw from this painful world or learn to accept it," Jin mused. "But, I can say this much. No matter what you choose, you will not be alone. You'll always have Allen, and me…and all of your other friends beside you."

"Jin…"

"Or do you still not understand Febronia's feelings?" he asked. "Now, please go. Now's not the time to let everyone down."

Shion slowly stood and nodded at Jin. She started towards the door, looking over her shoulder at him. "Jin…I…" she started to say before stopping herself. Jin watched her as she looked at the floor for a second. "I…I'll go on ahead…" she stuttered before turning on her heel and jogging out the door.

Jin's shoulders drooped as he watched her leave. "I...really am hopeless," he scolded himself. "Febronia, I am truly envious of you. You...were able to do for Shion what I, her own brother, should have done. Now the question is, what can I possibly do for Shion?"

"_Jin!"_

"_Don't leave me! Don't leave me alone!"_

Jin shook his head as he went to walk out of the cabin. "Or, even still...what can I do about my own past?"

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After Shion and Jin arrived on the Durandal's bridge, they found the rest of the group laughing hysterically as Jr. tried to shield his cheeks from Mary and Shelley.

Yes, _those_ cheeks.

"Ooh, they're so cute!" Mary cooed, taking another dive at him.

"Agh! Stay away from me, dammit!" he grunted as he moved out of her way, only to be countered by Shelley from behind.

"The Little Master has such a cute little bottom!" Shelley joked as Jr. fell to the ground and began to writhe.

"Hey Momo, you want to try?" Mary asked Momo, causing her cheeks to ignite.

"Jesus Christ! Can't you stop?" Jr. begged. "It's not like I'm not hurting enough already! That Gamma freak almost killed me!"

"Well then why didn't you dodge the attack?" Allen asked.

"I used the best evasive maneuver I know, thank you very much!" Jr. said, turning his nose up in the air.

"…he used the 'I'm a tree' method again, didn't he?" Gaignun asked, sighing.

"Yeah, he did…" chaos said, snickering.

"He used that one in training at the Yuriev Institute…he was almost killed on several occasions…" the black-haired man said, smacking his forehead.

Jr. bent down to buckle his boot. "And I'm proud of it!" he said.

"…I can't resist!" Allen said. He crept over to Jr. and kicked him in the seat of his pants, causing him to fall flat on his face. Shion laughed for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime as Jr. fell to the ground.

"And the kick is good!" Mary exclaimed, holding up her arms like a field goal.

"Allen, don't be surprised if you wake up _dead_ tomorrow…" the short one said, picking himself off the ground.

"Hey…" Allen said gently to Shion, ignoring Jr. He took her in his arms, gently kissing her forehead. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I am…" she said, relaxing against him. _Thanks to me…_Jin thought, mentally smacking himself.

"Shouldn't we be _doing_ something?" Jr. asked, sucking on one of his Makarovs.

As if to answer him, one of the 100-series realians said, "Little Master, a private transmission has arrived for you on a general channel."

"Hm? What's up?" Jr. asked, looking at the realian.

"It's compressed in an encoded format. Shall I open it?" she asked.

"Yeah, put it on."

A communication hologram popped up in front of the bridge, revealing a woman who looked to about Gaignun's age. She had short ginger hair, and she wore a sleek black dress and headband. Black eyeliner was apparent on her bright blue eyes. Jr. and Gaignun gasped as she glanced at the two of them, a satisfied look on her face.

"It...it can't be!" Gaignun said, inhaling sharply.

"But it is!" Jr. yelled, moving closer to the holographic screen.

"It's..."

"Citrene!" they both hollered in unison.

"Hrm. You finally figured it out," the female U.R.T.V. said, smirking. "It's been a long time, Rubedo number 666 and Nigredo number 669, dear brothers..." she cooed sarcastically.

"Jr.'s...sister?" Momo asked, confused.

"A female U.R.T.V.?" Shion eyed Citrene, not sure what exactly to think.

"I heard about what happened fourteen years ago. Sounds like Albedo number 667 made contact with U-DO and managed to cause a space-time anomaly alteration. That is most regrettable," she stated formally.

"Yeah, thanks to our bastard of a father!" Jr. shouted angrily. "He knew if we confronted U-DO, it might've destroyed Miltia! How could he do that!"

"Oh, please. I forgot what idiots you male types were," the female insulted them. "Honestly, I agree with our father…if we could save the star cluster at the cost of a single planet, I'd say that's a small price to pay."

"Acceptable losses...I hate that term," Shion growled.

"The reason why I contacted you now is because I know," she said, quieting her voice. "I know that U-DO will reawaken soon. All uncertainties must be eradicated. You must move quickly to eliminate the target, Rubedo."

"Re-contact?" Gaignun raised an eyebrow at his sister.

"You mean Albedo?" Jr. asked her desperately.

"Yes. He was infected, and he has fallen," she replied ominously.

"Mmph. I'll atone for my past mistakes. But I will _not_ do it by killing Albedo...instead, I'll make him stop this insanity!" Jr. said determinedly.

"As you wish." Citrene shrugged. "I look forward to your results, Rubedo." The communication monitor disappeared as Jr. turned to Shelley.

"Shelley, where did that transmission come from?" he asked.

"I am sorry. The route was scrambled. It's impossible to trace," she answered.

"Mmph. That sexist bastard..."

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"_I_ say we sleep on the Elsa!"

Jr. stared Mary straight in the eyes, nostrils flaring. "If we sleep on the Elsa, we'll just be able to roll out of bed and we'll already be at that place!"

"But Little Master," Mary argued, "the Durandal would be more comfortable! Besides, it's big and red!"

"Sure, the Durandal is big and red..." Jr. said. "But it could be _bigger_ and _redder_..."

"Hehehe...bigger and redder..." Jin snickered, obviously being the only one who appreciated KOS-MOS rox's wit.

"On the Elsa, everyone would have to share rooms. Where would Shion and Allen sleep? I'm sure they'd want to be together," Shelley debated.

"They'll sleep in the women's quarters with Momo," Jr. stated diplomatically. "They'll just have to abstain for the night."

"Damn..." Shion muttered as Allen removed his lips from her neck.

Jr. grinned at them. "Yes, I'm sure Momo wouldn't want to wake up to that..."

"Besides, KOS-MOS's and mine charging pods are on the Elsa. It would be a good idea to spend the night there," Ziggy pointed out.

"Wow, I guess Jr. was right..." Shion said, completely amazed.

Jr. jumped into the air, whooping. "Woot! In your face, Oracle!"

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After a quick dinner in the Elsa's kitchen (Jr. took the meaning of "quick" too literally...he choked three times) the group decided to turn in early.

Allen lay awake in the women's quarters, holding Shion in his arms. He gently stroked her upturned cheek over and over until her emerald eyes fell shut. He kissed her on the forehead, hearing her say his name softly before falling asleep. She had been through too much that day...

As he felt her snuggle against him and heard her calm, quieted breaths, he had no choice but to succumb to the feeling of tiredness that overcame him...

Meanwhile, in the men's quarters...

"Hey! Anyone still awake?" Jr. whispered harshly.

"Hrm," chaos grunted from above, indicating that he was still conscious.

"Cool. You know what I've always wanted, chaos?" he said, staring into the darkness.

"No, what?" chaos asked, slightly annoyed.

"One of those shocky sword things. You know, those...swords! Or knives, whatever! They're so cool!" he whispered. chaos groaned and fell asleep.

"chaos? Ah, you're no fun..." Jr. whispered, disappointed. "Don't you want a shocky sword, Jr.?"

"Yes I do!" he answered himself.

"They're _sooo_ cool!"

"I agree!"

"God, what is _wrong_ with me?" Jr. asked himself, laughing and falling back against the pillow.

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A few hours later, Allen was awoken by the sounds of gentle moans beside him. Opening his eyes, he almost jumped as he saw Shion on top of him, still asleep. Half-asleep, he smiled as she let out another sigh. He loved the noises that she made while she was asleep...they were cute, like a baby's.

As his foggy senses cleared further, he noticed something different. Her breaths were shaky and she was whimpering...

She was crying!

"Shion..." he whispered into her ear, placing gentle kisses against her neck, trying to wake her. She tightened her arms around him as he continued trying to calm her.

She jerked violently then, her knee hitting Allen just between the legs. "Ow, dammit!" he gasped. "I wish your kicks weren't so powerful..." he coughed.

"Alright, come on..." he muttered, lifting her off of on top of him and setting her down beside him. She shuddered at the sudden loss of physical contact, sobbing. He drew her in closer to him, rubbing her back. She wailed aloud, and Allen looked over his shoulder warily, making sure she hadn't disturbed Momo's rest.

"Shion, it's okay..." he whispered as she continued to sob. "Come on, calm down..." he murmured urgently. As her ragged breathing slowly calmed, Allen felt her go limp against him, finally falling asleep.

_Jesus…I wonder why this is all hurting her so much… _he wondered as he drifted off to sleep.

Little did Allen know that the reason for her crying had nothing to do with the events of the past day…

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_It was cold._

_As darkness surrounded Shion's aching form, Nephilim appeared before her. "N-Nephilim?" Shion stammered. But she couldn't hear her own voice. She couldn't hear anything. She was completely numb._

_Nephilim shook her head slowly as if to tell Shion "no". Shion shot her a confused look before the girl pointed over Shion's shoulder. She whirled around to see Kevin from behind. The blade of the archetype exploded through his back, sending a shower of blood her way…_

"_No…**no!**" she tried to scream. But there was nobody there to save her, nobody to console her…nobody._

_Suddenly, the scene switched. She saw Allen hovering above her, a look of resentment on his face. As he looked down at her, a look of intense and extreme pain crossed his face before he collapsed beside her. All she could see behind him was the Patriarch, standing in front of the gigantic mech, laughing manically…_

_Once again, the scene changed. She saw the boy, ten or eleven years old now, sitting fully-clothed on a colorless beach. A gentle wind blew, sending his dark locks askew. He looked serenely out into the ocean, tears rolling down his cheeks from bright green eyes. He had nobody there to save him, nobody there to console him…_

_Shion suddenly felt the strangest urge to hold him in her arms and wipe his tears away, to comfort him, to reassure him…_

_But before she could approach him, the area melted until all that she could see was black, endless black, stretching out for miles and miles, darkness permeating her very being…_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Shion cried out as she sat straight up in her bed, almost hitting her head on the bunk above. She pressed her cheek against her partner's chest, sighing in relief when she heard his strong heartbeat.

Sliding out of bed as to not disturb him, she stood up and began walking to the restaurant, wondering what could happen tomorrow if things went wrong...

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Wilhelm sat at his desk on the Dammerung, falling asleep slowly. His claret eyes shot upwards as the Compass of Order suddenly flipped dangerously on its axis. Peering deep into it, the corners of his lips curled upwards was he saw exactly what he had expected to...

"Trouble is approaching them..." Wilhelm said, smirking. "This is what it sounds like...when doves cry..."

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Shion sat in a booth in the Elsa's restaurant, slowly sipping a cup of tea. She absent-mindedly stared into the liquid, not noticing when she heard the mechanical door slide open.

Allen walked over, sitting down across from her. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"I...I had a dream..." Shion said, shivering.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"I...I don't want to say..."

"You can tell me anything."

"Allen...if I asked you something, would you promise to do it?" Shion asked, looking up at him.

"Of course I would," he replied.

"Well...I want you stay back here on the ship tomorrow," she said quietly.

Allen laughed. "What do you mean? I can be some help, you know. I'm not totally useless," he said. Shion looked at him, a concerned look on her face, her eyes glossy.

"I... I just don't think it's a good idea!"

"Well, tell me why, Shion…"

She hesitated for a second and looked down. "No... You'll... you'll think that it's stupid."

He sighed. "You know it doesn't matter. You could tell me that I have a dancing cupcake on my back and I wouldn't think it was stupid…well maybe I would. But anyway."

Shion let out a laugh and sighed. "Okay, well…I…I had a dream…well, a vision that…you died. In front of me and…it was in Proto Omega. That man had killed you."

"Oh…geez, Shion…"

"No, Allen! You…you think it's stupid, don't you?"

"No, I'm just worried that you're getting a little worried over that. Trust me, I won't turn into Kevin," he reassured her, taking her hands in his and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Shion squirmed a bit. "I'm not...ugh! Saying that, Allen!"

"Then, what are you saying?" he asked, letting her hands go and staring deep into her eyes.

"I'm saying…that I don't want you to come with us! For safety reasons! I mean…all you can do is shoot a gun!"

"Hey…hey! I can do more than that!"

"I don't care what you say. I'm going with you guys so I can protect you, Shion." Shion groaned and stomped her feet.

"That's exactly why I don't want you to come! So I can protect _you_!" she said to him, a bit angry at his stubbornness.

"I can protect myself!"

"I don't care! You're staying here!"

"No, I'm not!" he yelled at her, his facial expression toughening. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he ran his hands through his hair. "Look, Shion, I've made a commitment. I'm willing to bleed for you."

"Oh, so now the only reason why you come out with us is because you made a commitment to it?" she retorted, glaring at her. "I wish you had never entered the encephalon!"

"If I hadn't come, you would probably be dead right now!" he hissed.

"Oh, and that sure would have shown you!" Shion spat, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm going back to bed," she said harshly, "and I _don't_ expect you to be there with me!"

As she stomped out the door, Allen stared at her, dumbstruck. "Wh-what just happened here?" he asked himself.

"I'll tell you what happened, Romeo," Tony proclaimed, emerging from the kitchen with a glass of water. "You just got _dumped_!"

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**A/N: I have but one thing to say…**

**-Cries hysterically-**

**Neo: -Sigh- She'll be even worse at the end of the next chapter…honestly, she's nothing but a hopeless rabid fangirl.**

**Yeah, true. Okay.**

**What's up with Shion's eyes? Why do they keep glowing like that? Danny Phantom isn't taking her over or anything…or is he? –Shifty eyes- Hehehe, nah, he isn't. **

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	11. Superman's Dead

**Another cliffhanger this chapter! Alright. Well, the end of this chapter is unexpected too. Well, kind of. Not really, but…**

**Neo: So indecisive! Wow! **

**Stop it, you little anomaly.**

**Neo: That's not what you said last ni-**

**-Claps hand over his mouth- Don't listen to him!**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox doesn't own anything in the chapter. Thank you and goodnight.**

**Jr. sings some more in this chapter! –Big smile-**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 11: Superman's Dead**

"Ugh…"

The next morning came too early for Shion. The dream kept coming back to her, and she would wake up crying each time…even after what happened with Allen earlier. Groaning again and rolling over, she pounded the bed with her fists. The most horrible headache had found residence in her head. Once she finally rolled out of her bed, she walked into the kitchen, scowling. Everyone was already there and ready.

"Hey, Shion! Want a powerbar or something?" Jr. called from the bar as she plopped down in a booth next to Momo.

"Not hungry," she groaned angrily, resting her head on her arms.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Allen asked bitterly. "You could at least be a bit polite. And also, you look more miserable than usual. You should really do something about that."

"Yeah. Mmhm. Right here, buddy," Shion told him nonchalantly, showing him a rude hand gesture. Everyone let out a shocked gasp as Jr.'s jaw hit the floor.

"Dude! Did she just-" he began to ask.

"Yeah, she did," Jin said, dumbstruck.

"Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa." Jr. jumped off of the barstool and ran over to Shion. "What happened? Our resident lovebirds, at it like cats and dogs?" he asked frantically, blue eyes wide.

"We merely discovered our mistake in getting together," Allen said simply.

"Well…this is gonna be one _long_ trip…" Ziggy said.

"You guys shouldn't fight!" Momo begged, holding onto Shion's arm.

"Don't worry, Momo," Jr. said quietly, pulling her aside. "They'll be making love again within three hours," he whispered, making her laugh.

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"Yo! Little Master! We headin' out?"

The group stood on the bridge of the Elsa, preparing to take off. "Yeah! Let's go and bring them down!" Jr. replied, nodding. Matthews gave Tony and Hammer to begin the descent, and the ship began to land.

chaos entered the bridge, a cup of coffee steaming in his hands. He gave it to Shion, saying, "Here. You should really eat or drink something before we go. We don't want you passing out."

"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet of you, _chaos_!" she said, putting emphasis on her last word, holding chaos's hand, and looking at Allen. He grunted something inaudible, keeping his focus ahead of him.

"Stop it," chaos said firmly, pulling away from Shion. "You know you still love him. Listen to me now, before you regret what you're doing."

"There's nothing to regret," Shion stated, sticking her nose in the air.

"Hang on one second," Jr. said, running out of the bridge. About a half second later, he returned, a large knife in his hands.

"Wh-what are you going to do with that?" Jin asked, eyeing the large blade. Jr. flashed him an insane grin before standing in between Shion and Allen, imitating cutting something and grunting from physical exertion.

"What are you doing?" Shion inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm cutting the tension," he panted, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow. Shion glared at him and smacked him upside the head, causing the knife to fly out of his hands. It stuck just behind Tony's seat, almost stabbing him. The pilot shrieked and jerked as he heard it make contact.

"What did I do, Lord, what did I do?" he begged, folding his hands in prayer.

"Cut the crap, cheesehead!" Matthews hollered. "The Little Master can throw knives if he wants to!"

"He's drunk again…" Hammer said, crying out when he felt the impact of Matthews's boot on the back of his head.

A loud thud was heard as the Elsa landed on Proto Omega. "We'd better take the E.S.s. Same places?" Jin asked. chaos whimpered as he rubbed the back of his head.

"As long as I don't have to go in the Dinah with those two." Jr. pointed over his shoulder at Shion and Allen. "I'd need earplugs. First for the screaming while they're fighting. Then, about ten minutes later, for their moans of pleasure."

"You little freak!" Shion growled, lunging at him.

"Hey! I already told you, I'm not little!" he fumed, avoiding her.

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After boarding their E.S.s, our heroes made their way into the Omega System. Shion and Allen were going at it like cats and dogs the whole time, distracting everyone. If it wasn't for Jin, they all would have _died_ from falling off of a ridge.

After pressing a couple buttons (Jr. finally got over his phobia!) and running up and down steps about a million times like idiots trying to operate an E.S. elevator, they found themselves in a huge, open room.

"Guys. There's a gate over there," Jr. said, pointing across the room.

"That'll take us to him!" Momo yelled determinedly.

"Jr., I think you're rubbing off on her," Jin chuckled.

"Yeah, I know!" he proclaimed proudly.

"Oh God, now she's in the gutter now…"

"Shut your mouth! The gutter is a fine place to be!" Jr. grunted, folding his arms in front of his chest.

A loud crash was heard from above, causing everyone to look up. "Did you guys hear that?" Allen asked.

"Of course they heard it, dumbass…" Shion mumbled.

"Shion, Allen. Your arguing will eventually injure our battle tactics," KOS-MOS stated. "Please, try and get along until we leave."

"Yeah, whatever." The crash sounded again.

"What _is_ that?" Jr. snarled, getting annoyed. His answer was a large object falling from above, floating in the air. He jumped right out of his skin as it dropped. "Jesus Christ Heart Attack!" he yelled, gripping his chest.

"Enemy units discovered!" a mechanical voice rang from the object as cannons ascended from its interior.

"Oh shit!" Jr. yelled, readying the Asher's weapon. But Shion was quicker to react. Her eyes glowing bright green, she grabbed the E.S. Dinah's rifle triggers.

"Don't get in my way!" she snarled. "I'm trying to save them right now, dammit!" She squeezed the triggers, shooting the living hell out of the enemy mech.

"Yeah! Go Shion!" Jr. whooped, smiling. "Let's help her out, Momo!"

"Okay, Jr.!" she replied.

The Zebulun and the Asher also began shooting at the mech, unloading all of their ammo, Shion's cries of rage continued as the E.S. Dinah advanced on the enemy.

"Yeah! Use that anger for good!" Jin said, whirling around the Asher's weapons to get a good shot. "Say bye-bye…" He grinned before pulling the trigger, hitting it dead-on.

A loud beep was heard from the enemy unit as the mechanical voice cracked, "Inversion unit…shutting down…" The Inversion fell to the ground with a loud thud, and Shion's eyes returned to normal. She leaned forward and grabbed her forehead, whimpering.

"Come on, guys! Let's finish this!" Jr. yelled, signaling for Jin to move the Asher at full-speed to the dock. The other E.S.s followed suit.

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After an _extremely_ annoying assortment of block puzzles, the group found themselves in on top of a large, open platform.

"Look, a console," Allen said, pointing at a small computer console on the other side.

"Yeah! I want to press the button!" Jr. yelled, running over excitedly.

"Well, someone likes buttons now…" Ziggy said to Momo. The realian put a hand to her mouth, stifling laughter. Her pink hair fell into her eyes as her big amber eyes watched the U.R.T.V. run over to the console. He was so cute…

"Hehe, look at her…she can't keep her eyes off of him…" Shion cooed,

"I can remember when you two were like that," Ziggy said, acknowledging Shion and Allen.

"You should," Jin stated matter-of-factly, "It was only yesterday."

"True." Shion and Allen both scowled at them.

"Owww!"

"What's wrong?" Ziggy asked urgently, turning his head to look at Jr. He put a hand to his forehead when he saw Jr. lying face-down on the ground, laughing hysterically.

"I tripped over my cloak!" he said, laughing, picking himself up and walking the rest of the way to the console.

"Help us…" Jin whispered, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"Look what you're getting yourself into, Momo…" Shion said, laughing. Momo blushed furiously.

"And I press the button!" Jr. yelled, spastically pounding the console with his fist. A low rumble from below them caused the walls to tremble.

"What was that?" Jin drew his sword. Everyone else prepared their weapons as well.

A gigantic mechanical object flew up from beneath that platform. It looked like a gothic church. "I think the phobia is back…" Jr. squeaked, blue eyes widening.

"It's a cathedral!" Jin said, bewildered. "But…how?"

"Defeat of the Inversion unit detected!" a mechanical voice boomed. "Awakening Cry of the Rapture Mode! Awakened the female's instinct to fight!"

"Damn, let's kill this thing!" Jr. snarled, shooting at it. "Time to die!"

Before the bullets could make impact, a large blue energy orb appeared around it, blocking the attack. "Male attack recognized! Eliminate the menace!"

Jr. screamed as he was suddenly thrown violently backwards. Ziggy hopped into the air, catching him and setting him down on the ground. "D-Dude!" he stuttered. "What just happened? Is Citrene in there or something?"

"It looks like it's biased towards females," Shion said. "We'll fight it."

"Yeah!" Momo replied enthusiastically. KOS-MOS also nodded.

"Okay, here we go!" Shion said, whirling around and shooting the enemy unit. For an instant, it contracted, and then returned to normal. The android followed her, jumping majestically into the air and making slashing cuts on the Cathedral as Momo rapidly shot arrows at it.

"She's like…spring-loaded…or something…" Jin muttered. Jr. opened his mouth to say something, eyes bright, before Jin cut him off. "And I swear, if you say 'I noticed that last night', I'll punch you." Jr. turned his head down, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Aw. Well, that plan was foiled…" Jr. groaned. Seeing another opportunity to be himself, he sauntered over to Allen. "Sooo, Allen…" He smirked. "Why did you guys fight? Huh? Huh? Huh huh huh huh h-" Allen clapped his hand over the energetic one's mouth.

"Jesus, I admit it," Allen groaned. "I was the second shooter on the grassy knoll."

"Hehehe, nice reference." Jr. grinned, pointing at Allen.

As the females continued to fight the Cathedral, Jr. jumped around behind them, headbanging. "_With the lights out, it's less dangerous! Here we are now, entertain us! I feel stupid…and contagious! Here we are now, entertain us!_" he sang.

"_What_ are you doing?" Jin asked, sighing.

"I'm paying homage to my main man, the late Kurt Cobain," Jr. explained.

"Oh. Yes, may he rest in peace…" Jin said reverently.

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Meanwhile, on Second Miltia, a man ran into his work building, huffing and puffing. "Kurt, you're late again!" his boss yelled in a gruff voice.

"Oh. Yeah," Kurt stuttered. "Sorry. I was resting."

ANYWAYS.

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"Momo!" Shion commanded. Momo nodded and ran to her, avoiding one of the Cathedral's blows. She launched herself off of Shion's knee, sending three arrows at the mechanical church. It cringed as the sharp weapons stuck in its shell. KOS-MOS pulled out her minigun and shot the enemy repeatedly.

A blue beam of light flew towards Shion from the Cathedral, but KOS-MOS jumped in front of her. Her body absorbed the blow like a sponge. "Thanks, KOS-MOS," Shion said, relieved.

"I am happy to be of assistance," the android replied.

Allen watched Shion arch her back, stretching and wipe the almost nonexistent amount of sweat off of her forehead. Strands of dark brown hair fell into her green eyes as she panted slightly, trying to catch her breath. God, she was so beautiful…

_I'm an idiot…_ Allen scolded himself. _I shouldn't have acted like that last night. I should have listened to her…after all, some bad things have happened to her. This whole fight was my fault. I'll apologize to her after we get out of here…_ he thought to himself, still watching Shion and shoving his gun barrel-first into his pocket.

Hehehe.

"Hey Allen, do you like Kurt Co-" Jr. began to say, but his sentence was interrupted by a large, insane grin when he noticed Allen's pocket. Taking glances between Allen and Shion, he grinned even more and ran over to Allen. "He's so hot for her!" he yelled, pointing at Shion. "_He's so excited! And he just can't hide it! You know you know you know you know you know he wants you!_" Allen blushed furiously and pulled the pistol from his pocket.

"Gun," he spat. "Your head. _Now_."

"Someone should hit him…" Jin said, looking at the redhead who was laughing like his twin.

"Get the tranquilizer gun!" Ziggy yelled.

"Here you go!" Momo yelled, sending one final arrow into the mech. It screeched and jerked violently. "Bull's-eye!"

"Cry of the Rapture program defeated! Awakening Call to Arms mode! Awakened the male's instinct to fight!" the Cathedral's mechanical voice rang.

"Looks like it's our turn now!" Jr. whooped, leaping into the air and firing at the Cathedral. A red orb appeared around it this time, again blocking the attack. "Female attack recognized! Eliminate the menace!"

"**_WHAT?_**" Jr. screeched as he was thrown backwards. Allen and chaos looked at each other, their mouths quivering. A split second later, they were hanging onto each other, laughing hysterically.

"Oh God! Oh God! Losing control of my bladder!" Jin shrieked, unable to stop laughing. Ziggy merely looked at the floor, shaking his head.

"Again, Momo, look what you're getting yourself into…" Shion said to the realian, stifling laughter. "We don't even know what _gender_ Jr. is!"

"What the shit? That thing's glitching!" Jr. screamed from the spot where he had landed, furious.

"Ah, this _made_ my day," Jin said, still laughing.

Suddenly, their party was interrupted by a red beam shooting through Jin's body. He cried out in agony as his body was lifted into the air, and then dropped back down. He coughed violently and writhed in pain for a second before drawing his sword.

"Destroy it," he sputtered, slowly getting to her feet and whirling his sword around his head.

chaos nodded. "Angel blow!" he yelled, sending a blast of aura at the Cathedral. It hit the mech, causing it to screech.

"Bwahahahahaha! _Angel blow_!"

Ignoring Jr.'s sideline comment, Ziggy jumped into the air, forcefully kicking the flying church. It shrieked and crumpled into a heap onto the floor.

"Alright! Perfect!" Allen and Jin shouted in unison, attacking the hell out of it.

Jr. sat on the sidelines, tracing an obscure pattern on the cold metal floor with his finger. "I'm a _guy_! I urinate standing up, dammit! I can prove it too!"

"We do not with to see that," KOS-MOS stated.

As Shion watched Allen reload his pistol, chaos's words from earlier echoed in her mind. _"You know you still love him. Listen to me now, before you regret what you're doing."_

As much as she hated to admit it, chaos was right. That fight was stupid, and there was no reason for it. She had done the same thing to him countless times on the Woglinde…going out and fighting despite his warnings. After all, it was just a dream…wasn't it?

_I'll apologize to him once we finish this…_Shion thought to herself, idly rubbing her thighs when she felt the earring that he had given her inside of her pocket.

"Shion? Are you okay?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…"

Allen and Jin jumped back from the Cathedral as it sprang back to life, in perfect condition. "Jesus! This thing won't die!" Allen yelled as Ziggy was hit by a projectile beam.

"I know! Nothing's working!" Jin replied before going in and beginning to hack at it again.

It was then that Jr. noticed something flashing red on the side of the mech. "G-Guys?" he said, standing up. "Guys? Guys!" he yelled, running over to them.

"What is it?" they asked urgently.

"There's an on-off button!" Jr. shouted, pointing at the red button he had seen.

"...Wow, that's…too easy…" chaos said. "Well, whatever. We'll keep this thing occupied while you press it, Jr.! We're depending on you!"

"B-But…" Jr. stammered, the color draining from his face.

"You _have_ to do it!" Ziggy urged him.

"Fine!" Jr. turned around and looked at the button. "Here I go!"

The U.R.T.V. took off towards the Cathedral, diving out of the way of a blast. As he scrambled underneath it, he whacked his head on the bottom. "Ow! Jesus Christ Concussion!" he yelled, grabbing the spot that ailed him.

"Keep going!" Shion yelled to him.

"I don't wanna see what's going on out there!" Jr. replied, smirking. His response was an M.W.S. clattering to the floor just beside him.

"I…got it!" Jr. screamed, pounding on the button after scooting underneath it even more and jumping up around the side. He landed on his feet and ran back, his cloak fluttering behind him. To Momo, he looked like Superman…could she be his Kryptonite?

"Shutting…down…" the mech said sluggishly, falling to the ground once and for all.

"Well…I hope I'm never attacked by a flying church again…" Ziggy said. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Look, another button," Shion said, pointing at a second console.

"That's the same one," Jr. protested.

"No, it's not," Shion argued.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

Jin rolled his eyes as the two continued to argue. Walking over to the console, he pressed the button. The platform they were standing on began to move. Shion looked at Jr. with a satisfied grin.

"See, I _told_ you…" Jr. said, turning away from Shion and folding his arms in front of his chest, pouting.

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On the Dammerung, Red Cloak and Blue Cloak stepped into Wilhelm's office, where the man was sitting.

"Feeling any better?" Wilhelm asked the man cad in red, not bothering to look up from the Compass of Order.

"I guess so…" Red Cloak replied. "I just can't believe that…she…"

"It's a part of life, Testament," Wilhelm reassured him. _If he's upset now…just wait two more weeks…_

"Yeah, true…"

"She _is_ going to regret it, though…" Wilhelm muttered, looking into the Compass.

"Who's going to regret what?" the blue-clad man asked.

Ignoring him, Wilhelm continued. "Besides…Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…"

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"He's in here! Let's go!" Jr. said, kicking a door at the other side of the chasm that the platform had taken them across.

As they ran through the door, they saw the Patriarch in front of Proto Omega, sneering at them. "You've done well to make it this far. I suppose it's best not to underestimate the resilience of insects," he said mockingly.

"I've heard enough of your crap!" Jr. spat, pulling out his Makarovs.

"Do you really know…what it is you're doing?" Shion asked angrily, fury in her green eyes.

"I agree."

Everyone looked around for the source of the chilling, yet familiar, voice. Suddenly, Albedo appeared in front of them, smirking.

"Don't you think it's about time you quit playing this ridiculous game? This power is mine. You have no right to it," the white-haired U.R.T.V. proclaimed, looking at the old man.

"Albedo!" Jr. exclaimed, both relief and anger welling up inside him.

"Yo, Rubedo. You seem happy to see me," his brother replied.

"D-Don't be Tommy Maddox!" Jr. stuttered after a second's pause. "How could I be happy?"

"Ah, if it isn't Yuriev's ghost. I'm afraid you're a bit late," the Patriarch suddenly stated. "The preparations are already complete. There's no longer a point to your existence."

"What an annoying old fool." Albedo shook his head slowly and disdainfully. He turned to look at Jr. "How about it, Rubedo? Want me to give you a hand squashing this guy?" he offered.

"U.R.T.V. A failed product of a twisted age. A lower life form such as you could never understand our ideals," the old man insulted them.

"Oh yeah? Well, take this!" Albedo shouted, launching a beam from his hands at the Patriarch. Being ever-annoying, he put his hands up, a protective aura shield appearing around him. Albedo's attack was absorbed into it, making it larger.

"So you wanna play like that, huh?" Albedo flew up into the air, his cape floating behind him while gliding. As he shot more beams, they collided with the Patriarch's barrier shield. The U.R.T.V. snarled in frustration as he continued to blast him.

Waving two fingers at Albedo, the old man commanded Proto Omega to fire at Albedo. The red beam hit the U.R.T.V., and he fell to the ground, a purple orb surrounding his body.

Suddenly, Shion's eyes began glowing green again. "Don't touch him!" she snarled. chaos quickly grabbed onto her shoulders from behind, restraining her.

"You'll get your turn!" he said into her ear. "Don't interfere now."

Shion turned to face chaos, eyes ablaze. "When, Yeshua? When will I get my turn?" she demanded in an aggravated tone of voice.

"Don't say that name out loud!" he said, quickly hushing her. Slowly, her eyes returned to normal. Much to chaos's relief, nobody had noticed their conversation. They were too busy watching Albedo…

"That's rich…you people are unbelievable. You're going to destroy me?" Albedo panted, getting up. Jr. quickly approached him as his twin's body began to disappear to nothing.

"Complete destruction doesn't sound all that bad," Albedo said softly as his body continued to fade.

"Albedo!" Jr. exclaimed, terrified. Tears began welling up in his blue eyes.

"But, you see even reducing me to particles won't make me disappear from the cosmos…" he mused. Once all that was left of his body was his head, he turned once again to face Jr. "Hey, Rubedo. Don't forget to breathe deep and inhale the particles that composed me."

Laughing hysterically and manically, the twin of U.R.T.V. number 666 disappeared…

"Damn you!" Jr. yelled, facing the Patriarch and aiming his guns at him, eyes shining a dangerous red. "You bastard! You're gonna pay!"

"What's wrong? Wasn't he your bitter enemy?" the Patriarch asked, laughing a laugh that rivaled the insanity of Albedo's. Seriously, man, that laugh was scary.

"The only one allowed to take Albedo out…" Jr. fired a bullet at the old man. "Is me!"

"Oh, please!" the Patriarch scoffed, easily sidestepping the bullet. "Ridiculous!"

An aura of gold appeared around the old man's white-gloved hands. Before the group could react, he fired the aura at Jr., hitting him dead-on, the boy crying out in agony.

Jr. wavered a bit, like a man stung, before clutching his chest and gasping for breath. "Not cool…" he managed to cough out before passing out.

"No! Jr.!" Momo screamed. Her usually innocent-looking face changed into one of complete wrath and anger as she pulled out her bow.

As Momo aimed her weapon at the Patriarch, he said, "Do you actually believe that you insolent fools can win?" and blasted her with the same aura that he had Jr., knocking her out as well.

"This isn't good!" Ziggy yelled. He ran up to the Patriarch and, focusing all of his power, kicked him in the shin with his metal leg. The elderly man screamed in pain before stumbling backwards, falling onto his back. After a second, he picked himself up, standing awkwardly on his injured leg.

"Do you actually believe that you insolent fools can win?" he growled before pulling a small pistol out of his robe. He fired it at Ziggy, and the cyborg fell over backwards.

Trying to get up, Ziggy grunted, "I can't move! That must have been a stun bullet!" The Patriarch threw his head back and laughed maniacally before running towards where Shion and KOS-MOS were, powering up his aura.

"No! You can't!" chaos shouted, standing eagle-spread in front of the two of them. "If you make one more move…" His eyes began glowing blue. "…I'll kill you!"

"Those who oppose me never return alive!" he snarled before plunging his hand into chaos's stomach.

_Yeshua, you failed!_

The seraphim teen fell over and coughed up a mouthful of blood before he passed out as well. The elder sneered at his form before charging at Shion.

"Shion, stand back," KOS-MOS said, punching the Patriarch in the face. Blood exploded from his nose as her fist made contact.

Angered more than anyone can imagine, he screamed, "You are all pathetic primitive beings!" KOS-MOS tried to move out of the way of his aura blast, but the old man was too fast.

"Shutting down…" she said, falling over.

"You'll pay for that!" Jin screamed, running up behind the Patriarch and swing his sword at him. The old man whirled around and grabbed the sword between two hands and twisted them, breaking Jin's wrist. The blade clattered to the floor and the Patriarch took Jin down, stomping on his face over and over. "Fool!" he yelled as Jin blacked out.

"Shit…the more we attack him, the more powerful he gets!" Allen said to himself. As he looked around, he saw that besides him, Shion was the only one conscious.

"And now, I show you…" the Patriarch said, firing up Proto Omega, "the wrath that has been contained inside of the Ormus organization for thousands of years! Fall before the wrath of Proto Omega!"

"That…that thing!" Shion said, horrified as she saw the red energy being concentrated above the Patriarch.

"At its full power, this beam can destroy a planet…imagine what a fourth of its power can do to a human!" the old man said, ordering the mech to fire at Shion.

Allen shot a nervous look at her as he heard his heart pounding in his ears. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

_I only want her to be happy…_

_To live a good life…_

_After all, that's what love really is…_

_Isn't it?_

"Help!" Shion screamed and closed her eyes, ready to die from the mech's beam. Instead, she felt herself being pushed onto her back. She slowly opened her eyes to see Allen in a tabletop position over her, covering her body.

The beam hit him, and he threw his head backwards and screamed pure agony. Allen felt the pain surge to every part of his body, a burning sensation overcoming his insides. He turned his head aside and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Looking back down at Shion, he said, "Shion…I'm sorry…"

And then Allen collapsed, letting out his last breath…

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**A/N: Help me! Something's wrong with me! Why did I DO THAT?**

**Neo: Relax.**

**Me: -Bawls- I hate leaving people with cliffhangers!**

**Tommy Maddox – An obvious reference to the idiot backup quarterback of the Steelers.**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	12. O Fortuna

**Whee! Yeah, sorry I haven't started this chapter sooner...I traveled out of state to compete in a national Taekwondo tournament, and it was good!**

**Neo: She kicked butt, yes she did.**

**Disclaimer, little dude!**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox does not own Xenosaga, nor elseanything but a Naruto headband. She wears that thing everywhere...-Sweatdrop-**

**Yes I do! -Pats it-**

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

_Last time in Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe:_

_The beam hit him, and he threw his head backwards and screamed pure agony. Allen felt the pain surge to every part of his body, a burning sensation overcoming his insides. He turned his head aside and coughed up a mouthful of blood._

_Looking back down at Shion, he said, "Shion…I'm sorry…"_

_And then Allen collapsed, letting out his last breath…_

_And now, chapter 12.__  
__---------------------------------------------------------_

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 12: O Fortuna**

Wilhelm stood in the Second Division's lab on the Dammerung, hearing about a new weapon that they were developing for KOS-MOS. "And you see, sir, this feature will allow her to-" the employee said. Wilhelm did not hear any more after that, though, for an almost unbearable pain exploded in his chest.

"Master Wilhelm? Master Wilhelm, are you alright?" the female worker asked when she saw him clutching his chest.

"Yes, I'm fine," Wilhelm replied in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to reschedule this meeting. There is important business I must attend to." And at that, Wilhelm turned on his heel and walked briskly out of the lab.

"Is he okay?" asked a male employee. The female shrugged.

Once he reached the outside of the Second Division, another pang struck his chest. He broke into a jog, running for his office. After more pain, he began running in a blind jog for his office. His claret eyes were closed and his teeth clenched as he rode the private elevator to his office.

When he stepped off, he was greeted immediately by his Testaments. "Status report!" he called to Black Cloak.

"The mechs are ready to go," he replied in a gruff voice, his red eyes squinted maliciously.

"What about the Divine Form?"

"I can't see into the Compass of Order, boss," Blue Cloak replied.

"Out of my way!" Wilhelm snarled, shoving the blue-clad man from in front of the Compass. "Not much longer now…" he said, smirking and clutching his chest.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Red Cloak said, approaching Wilhelm. "The Divine Form? That means that she's…" The man clutched his head. "Oh God! Oh, God no!"

"Calm down," Wilhelm told him.

"I'm not angry because of it," Red Cloak said. "I just want to know why you did it! I mean the fever! Maybe if you hadn't…she wouldn't be afraid…"

"It had to be that way…" Wilhelm said, looking at the man. "to assure the future."

"I'm so confused! I don't even know why I'm here!" Blue Cloak exclaimed.

Suddenly, Wilhelm threw his head backwards and screamed in agony as a red aura began lifting from his body. The pain in his chest was constant and burning. The Testaments watched in a horrified awe as he coughed violently, his scarlet eyes shining through the red energy around him. They had never seen him like this…

A loud bang sent the cloaked men jumping into the air, surprised. They slowly looked to see that the Compass of Order was spread out in about a thousand pieces, having exploded.

"What's going on?" Blue Cloak demanded. Wilhelm looked at them sternly as the aura died down, panting, red eyes on fire. He uttered one simple phrase:

"Let's go."

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Everything felt numb.

Shion sat, dumbstruck, trying to let what had just happened soak in. She didn't know if she was alive or dead, or somewhere between. Breathing heavily, she heaved Allen's body from on top of her and rolled him onto his back. After kneeling beside him, she pressed her ear to his chest again, but this time, the calming _lub dub_ of his heartbeat did not come. Shion let out a dry sob and kneeled over him, whimpering.

"Allen…you promised me…you promised me that you would never let go!" she wailed, tears beginning to stream down her face.

Shion bit her lower lip, trying to stop the tears. The pain of her teeth sinking into the skin of her lip was sharp and the metallic taste of the blood that seeped from the cut was bitter. Realizing that it was no use, she yelled, "Why does everyone leave me behind?"

Shion collapsed into a fit of sobs. "I never even got to say goodbye, or that I was sorry!" she coughed, choking on her tears.

She slowly turned to face the Patriarch, her face contorted in pain and anger. "Why? Why did you do that?" she half-asked, half-sobbed.

"I must prove that Ormus means what they say!" he replied, followed by that laughter that truly creeps KOS-MOS rox out.

Shion moaned and doubled over, holding her stomach. Her right shoulderblade began to burn, and the "birthmark" Allen had noticed earlier began glowing bright green, showing through her shirt and her jacket. (**A/n: Wow, I can't think of a name for that thing**.) Voices from her past echoed in her head as a bright green aura began lifting from her body like steam.

**"_No! I won't follow you! I've seen what he does to my sister, and I don't want her to be hurt anymore!"_ _an adolescent Jin said angrily._**

**"_G-Go to your mother's hospital room…your parents are there…" Feb's voice spoke._**

**"_Hide Shion! She's the only one who matters!" her mother said._**

**"_Oh man…we'd better get you to the ER…" Kevin's voice said concernedly._**

**"**_Shion, I had to… my fault…all of it…had to stay loyal…Shion, I love you…" his voice spoke again, this time weakly and softly._

"_I'm going back to bed, and I don't expect you to be there with me!" her own voice spat._

"_Shion…I'm sorry…" Allen said._

_An image of the little boy appeared in her mind. "Do it for me…" he said in a sweet, cherubic voice._

As the Patriarch continued laughing, Shion moaned again and retched, becoming violently sick. Coughing and wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve, the aura became stronger. "Why is my shoulder burning?" she cried, beginning to shake.

"The entire human race will fall before the might of Ormus!" the old man before her exclaimed excitedly. Shion looked up at him, her face hot and wet from crying. Suddenly, her eyes began glowing green through the aura, brighter and more fiercely than ever before.

"You…you killed him!" she growled, glaring at the Patriarch. "And now, I'm going to destroy you…"

_The bullet made impact, knocking the head off of the android menace…_

"…just like I did last time!"

"Oh, please!" the man scoffed. "You couldn't possibly stop this power!"

"Watch me," Shion said, slowly getting to her feet, the aura surrounding her entire body.

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"_Hey. Hey you," the 13-year-old boy said, standing beside the baby's crib. The child resting in it looked up at him with green eyes._

"_That's right, I'm your big brother…kinda…" the boy cooed as the baby made a small noise. The little girl wrapped her tiny had around the budding samurai's finger, making the teen laugh. _

"_I know you weren't born naturally…but that doesn't mean I'm not your brother," he said, reassuring himself more than the baby. "I'm gonna teach you how to do all kinds of things, like how to use a katana!" he said softly._

"_They still haven't named you yet…" the boy suddenly remembered, looking at the girl. "I wonder if they'll mind if I gave you a name…because I have one…"_

_The baby made an inquisitive noise, looking at her "brother." "The name is Shion. I learned it a while back…it means 'Zion'. I think that suits you very well," he said, stroking her cheek. "Yeah, Shion…cool. Shion, you're going to do great things someday…" he said._

"_Jin, come here for a second," a voice called from outside of the room._

"_Bye, Shion," Jin said, leaning over the crib's railing and pressing a kiss against the baby's forehead. "Hey, Dad! Dad, I thought of a name for her!" he said, jogging out of the room._

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_The Divine Form…_

_She was genetically altered…_

_A superhuman, of sorts…_

_No, Jr., not like Batman._

_Her coming would bring so much more…_

_But then she was brutally murdered…_

_Or…was she?_

Shion threw her head backwards and screamed, the aura spreading even further. "You've injured all of them…and now you're going to pay!" she yelled at the Patriarch.

"I'd like to see you try!" the old man replied angrily, golden aura flames igniting his hands.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a bright white light. The Patriarch stumbled backwards, temporarily blinded. Once the light died down, he saw Shion on the floor, writhing in pain.

"Oh God! My shoulder!" she screamed. "It hurts…so much!" Shion rolled over onto her back and arched her body as the Patriarch watched in confusion.

"What are you doing? Stand up and fight me!" the old man said, outraged.

"I…I can't!" Shion cried, eyes closed. "Something's not right! I feel…"

Lightning flashed behind Shion's eyes as pure anger and adrenaline ran through her veins. Whenever she closed her eyes, all that she could see was the boy staring back at her, furious. His big green eyes burned with a passionate rage and his teeth were bared. Shion couldn't think strait. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast that it felt as if it would jump out of her chest.

_What's going on? Why am I feeling this way?_ Shion shrieked mentally, opening her mouth in a silent scream of pain. chaos's unconscious body on the floor jerked violently.

The light flared up again, and Shion's body was lifted into the air. She tilted her head back and screamed again as pain ripped through her body again, settling in her back. Her shoulder burned with white-hot intensity as sweat poured down her face. The elderly man looked at her in a mix of awe and horror, watching everything that happened to her.

"_That's it, my child!"_ a man's gruff voice rang inside Shion's head. _"Awaken!"_

Shion took a deep breath and closed her eyes as a dizzy feeling washed over her. For an instant, her back exploded with pain…after, she felt nothing.

The Patriarch watched as two pieces of black split the brightness, two shrouds of darkness piercing the light, two black wings slowly extending from the woman's back…

Wait…_wings_?

Dark feathers fluttered gracefully to the floor around the Patriarch as Shion's new wings spread out around her, holding her in midair as she floated beyond him. Slowly, she opened her burning green eyes, the color overcoming every part. Her teeth were bared and her jaw was clenched, just as the child's.

"Come back…" Shion said softly. Instantly, everyone who had fallen during the last battle was revived…everyone who hadn't died, of course.

The Pope of Ormus looked up at her, pure terror apparent in his beady yellow eyes, knowing that he was truly _screwed_.

He knew who this was. He knew what was coming next.

"Th-The Divine Form?" he stammered. He looked at Allen's body and gasped. "Then he must be…The Father!"

Jr. and the others groggily got to their feet, wiping their eyes and stretching, chaos grasping his chest. The U.R.T.V. gasped and nudged Ziggy, pointing at Shion.

"Wings…" was the only thing he could say, a look of numb awe on his face.

"Wow…" Momo looked up at Shion, pure admiration apparent in her big amber eyes. Suddenly, she noticed Allen on the floor, not moving. "What happened to Allen?" she asked Ziggy, clinging to his flesh arm. Ziggy shrugged, a look of concern on his usually emotionless face.

"This wasn't supposed to happen…" Jin said softly, blinking back tears, holding his broken wrist gingerly.

"Yes, yes, yes…" chaos muttered, looking at Shion. His eyes began glowing blue as he said, "Are you feeling this, brother? Can you feel it running through your very soul?"

_Yes, brother…we are almost there._

"You thought you could harm them, but you couldn't, could you?" Shion calmly asked the Patriarch, eyes like two emeralds.

"But…but this is _impossible_!" the elderly man spat, glaring at Shion. "The Divine Form was murdered two years ago, at Vector Industries!"

"Your plan was thwarted."

Wilhelm's cool and calm voice filled the room as him and his testaments warped inside, on top of their super-awesome mechs. Each one's weapon was the same color as their cloak. Wilhelm's was the largest and the color silver, like an E.S.

"Thwarted by me…" Red Cloak muttered under his breath. Wilhelm quickly hushed him before continuing.

"We'd appreciate it if the supporting actors could just stick to their roles," he said, eyeing the Patriarch.

"Wait, why are we just _standing_ here?" Jr. suddenly demanded, pulling out a Makarov.

He aimed it right at the Patriarch's head; since he was too busy looking at Shion. Just when he was about to pull the trigger, Shion stopped him.

"No, Rubedo, don't shoot…he's mine," she said. "That is, if my masters will allow me…" she added, glancing at chaos and Wilhelm.

"Yes, yes, of course!" they replied quickly and in unison, their eyes glowing. Shion nodded and put her hands out in front of her.

Jr. took a few steps backwards, stumbling over his feet. He gasped at Shion, taken aback that she had used his real name. Did she even know that his name was Rubedo?

"She called them her masters," he whispered confusedly to Ziggy, pointing at chaos and Wilhelm.

"Exit the stage. Your act is over," Shion said before the room was filled with yet another bright light. The Patriarch began to sweat as he fell backwards.

"No! I am all power-" he screamed desperately.

But before the Patriarch could complete his last word, however, his body vanished into thin air. That friggin' annoying nursing home escapee would most likely never cause them trouble again.

"Good, you're learning quickly…" The Vector CEO smiled.

Shion's wings faded into nothingness as her body fell limply to the ground. Jr., Momo, chaos, and Jin ran over to her as KOS-MOS stood over them. Ziggy was about to follow, but someone familiar caught his eye…

Blue Cloak glanced at Voyager, who was staring intently at the cyborg.

"What is it? See someone you know?" Virgil asked him quietly.

"You could say that," he replied in a gravely voice, an insane grin gleaming, as well as his bald head.

Ziggy glared at Voyager, teeth bared, "It's you!"

_The black cloaked man looked at a child's blood-soaked shoe, a mad glint in his red eyes…_

"You! _Voyager_!" Ziggy screamed, furious. Enraged, he pulled out his missile pod and fired at the black cloaked man. Baldy smirked as the missiles were absorbed by the protective beam shield around his mech.

Before Ziggy had a chance to react, he was hit from behind with his own missiles which had suddenly appeared in midair behind him. His missile pod clattered to the floor as he fell heavily to his knees, electric sparks surging through his artificial parts.

"Ziggy!" Momo exclaimed, running from Shion to him. She stood beside him, trying to help him up.

"Shion…wake up…" Jin said, gently stroking his unconscious sister's cheek with his left hand, the one that wasn't injured.

"Come on, Peter Pan, you have to wake up…" Jr. said, leaning over her.

"Here…" chaos nudged Jin out of the way and placed his hand on Shion's forehead.

"_Asato ma sad gamaya…tamaso ma jyotir gamaya…mrtyor mamrtam gamaya…_" he murmured, his hands glowing with blue aura.

Shion's eyes fluttered open, the color back to normal. "Allen…" she said hoarsely. Her eyes stung with tears as she shoved Jr. out of the way, knocking him onto his ass, and moved quickly to her lost love. She fell to the floor beside him, crying silently.

"Looks like it's my turn…" Wilhelm said, holding his right hand out in front of his face.

"Master Wilhelm…don't bring him back," Red Cloak begged.

"I have to…" Wilhelm stated matter-of-factly. "He is vital to her…and to him as well."

"That's not true!" the Testament implored. "The only ones truly vital to him are you and Shion!"

"I'm sorry, Testament…but she would never take you back," Wilhelm said, closing his eyes in sorrow. "_Asato ma sad gamaya…tamaso ma jyotir gamaya…mrtyor mamrtam gamaya…_" he muttered, and his hands glowed with red aura.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_I'm dead. There's no arguing denying it…I'm gone."_

_The man slowly sat up and placed a hand to his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked around, seeing nothing but an endless void of black._

"_So this is what Hell looks like…" he said to himself. "I deserve to be here…"_

_Allen's ears perked up when he heard the sound of crying behind him. He stood up and whirled around, seeing Shion standing behind him. Tears were streaming down her face, and her eyes were red-rimmed. Her body shuddered with a sob as she fell against him, desperately clinging to him. Allen gently wrapped his arms around her shaking form, closing his eyes and inhaling her scent, trying to make this moment last as long as possible…_

_Suddenly, Shion broke away from him. Allen was about to ask her why, but she suddenly changed. Shion was gone. In her place was a boy who looked to be about eleven with brown hair and bright green eyes, brighter than even Shion's._

"_Go back. They're all waiting for you," he said in a soft, sweet voice._

"_Who…who are you?" Allen asked him, giving the boy a confused look._

"_Never mind that now. You'll get to see them again…as well as me," he said before disappearing._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

At Wilhelm's command, Allen's body was lifted into the air, enveloped in red light. His blue eyes snapped open and he drew in a sharp breath of air, feeling life rushing back into him. He didn't know what was happening, but frankly, he didn't care. The only things he could think about were Shion and the boy…

Allen looked down and saw Shion, crying. She was apparently too wrapped up in her sorrow to notice what was going on. As he was slowly lowered to the ground by Wilhelm, chaos looked up at his brother.

"Smart move, little brother," he said quietly so nobody else would hear, smirking.

"This is too much!" Jr. said, pointing at Allen. "He was dead, and now he's not! I need a vacation…"

"Shion…" Allen said softly, helping Shion to her feet. She looked up at him and burst into tears, burying her face in his chest. Allen let out a sigh of relief and pressed her warm body against him, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Shion, I should have listened to you last night…I should have considered your feelings…" he said softly, kissing her forehead.

"None of that matters anymore…" Shion said shakily, desperately clinging to the back of Allen's shirt. "Just hold me…"

Shion didn't know how Allen came back, or what had just happened with her, but frankly, she didn't care. All that she knew was that she was with him again…she could hear his heartbeat again, she could feel his touch again…that was good enough for her.

She lifted her head from his chest and kissed him, savoring every moment. Allen returned her kiss and gently stroked her hair. Ziggy looked at the two of them and said to Jr. and Jin, "That must be one strange kiss to share."

"Yeah," Jr. said, the corners of his mouth curling into a grin. "I'll bet that'll lead to some freaky hot monkey sex later."

Ziggy sighed and shook his head. "Ow, ow, broken limb…" Jin said, elevating his broken wrist.

"We don't have time to play around, begin!" snarled a very grumpy Red Cloak. The other testaments nodded and used their powers to reveal Albedo in front of the Zohar, spread out in front of it as if it was a cross.

"Albedo!" Jr. yelled, suddenly sobering. "Stop it! This is not what you were born to do!"

"Au contraire…this is the very moment I've been waiting for!" his brother replied giggling as U-DO waves appeared and entered his body. Wilhelm nodded at chaos and Voyager grinned at Ziggy one last time before Wilhelm and his Testaments disappeared.

"Come, Rubedo. Come to my world! Let's have some fun!" Albedo said madly as the waves stretched through the entire room.

"U-DO…" Jr. said, petrified in shock. KOS-MOS approached slowly and spread her arms out. Suddenly, the Third Armament from Second Division appeared on her back and shoulders. For a split second, her eyes glowed blue.

"KOS-MOS?" Jr. approached the android, looking at her.

"Under the current conditions, I can hold this for approximately three minutes. Please escape immediately," she stated as the U-DO waves were absorbed by the weapon.

"KOS-MOS! But how…" Allen said, still holding Shion, bewildered.

"The Elsa is currently heading towards our present coordinates. If you destroy the exterior wall, you should be able to rendezvous with it," KOS-MOS said.

"Destroy…the wall?" Momo asked. Ziggy slowly stood up, gingerly moving his mechanic parts.

"Leave it to me," he said roughly, moving towards the wall.

"Ziggy! You shouldn't be moving in your condition!" Momo exclaimed, reaching for him.

"Don't worry. They can always repair my body," the cyborg replied as he reached the exterior wall. "Stand back!"

As he reared back to punch the wall, a thousand different thoughts ran through his mind…Voyager, his stepson, and Momo were among them. The one that stuck with him, however, was Juli Mizrahi, whom he would never see again if they didn't get out of there.

Wait…since when did _he_ think about _her_?

He could hear her voice ringing in the back of his cyborg mind…calling him by his true name…

"_Jan Sauer…" _her gentle voice called to him from somewhere beyond the wall.

Finding strength in the sound, he screamed in pure determination and punched the wall with his metal arm. As his fist was a bombshell, the wall shattered like a priceless vase at the contact of his fist. He tried to pull away, but it was too late. His arm got caught in the punch hole as debris fell from above. Grunting and pulling as hard as he could, he fell back from the wall, leaving his arm behind in the process.

Ziggy stumbled backwards and fell, sparks flying from the bare circuits where his arm had been. Momo gasped in terror and ran over to him, dropping to her knees beside him. "Ziggy! Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I…I broke the wall, if that's an acceptable answer," he replied, showing Momo a slight smile. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

The Elsa sped towards the hole that Ziggy had created in the wall. "Come on, guys! Hurry up and get in!" the navigator's geeky voice rang. "We're running out of time!"

"Okay, we're coming!" Momo replied, helping Ziggy to his feet.

"Yeah! Back to the Millennium Falcon!" Jr. said determinedly, running towards the ship. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, blushing. "I meant the Elsa. I _swear_, I meant the Elsa."

Everyone sighed in exasperation and followed him inside. None of them knew exactly what had happened there that day, but frankly, they didn't care. All that mattered was that everyone was safe and healthy, and that was enough for them.

Once they reached the bridge, Jr. commanded Tony, "Han, get out of here!"

"Comparing me to Solo, eh?" Tony asked cockily. "Because I'm better!"

"Just go!" Hammer yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"Whatever you say, Chewy," Tony replied before pushing forwards on the control. Hammer glared at him and made a series of Wookie noises before tending to the navigation.

"You morons! You'd better just get out of here alive!" Matthews hollered angrily.

"You two had better listen to Leia there and shape up," Jr. said nonchalantly, pointing at Matthews. The Captain growled angrily at the Little Master.

As the Elsa glided gracefully away, Jr. and the others watched in horror as the Omega System was slowly swallowed by the space-time anomaly created by Albedo. _"Behold, Rubedo! At long last, my time has come! The time to join the eternal chain!"_ Albedo's voice sounded inside Jr.'s head. _"The time to quench my thirst at the source!"_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

The elevator to the Durandal's bridge slowly rose, revealing Gaignun Kukai Jr. His comrades had gone their own ways…chaos had remained on the Elsa, along with KOS-MOS. Momo and Ziggy had gone to contact Juli and get Ziggy repaired, Shion and Allen had gone to the residential area to sleep, and Jin went to the Infirmary to have his wrist mended.

"Give me an update," Jr. commanded, slowly walking up behind Shelley.

"No change in the waves from the space time anomaly," one of the 100-series stated. "Further expansion appears to be temporarily halted."

"Well, it sounds like we owe one to KOS-MOS," Jr. said, shrugging.

"We don't have much time to relax, Little Master," Mary warned him. "The phenomena alteration may have stopped expanding for now, but it's just a matter of time before it starts up again."

"It'll swallow up the whole region eventually, won't it? Isn't there any way to stop it?" another realian asked.

"Hmm. It's likely the only way to resolve this situation is to go in there and destroy the source directly," Shelley said. "But the risk involved is enormous."

"How are the Elsa and the assault craft?" Jr. asked.

"They have sustained a great deal of damage, but they are still operational. We can launch at any time," Ume replied.

"Okay, got it. Shelley, I need you to take over here…" Jr. turned on his heel and slowly walked towards the elevator.

"Acknowledged," the purple-haired woman answered, nodding. Jr. gave her a look of gratitude and descended.

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Shion lay awake in her room in the Residential Area, straining to see, straining to hear, although she didn't know what she was waiting for. She slowly turned over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. _So I'm the Divine Form…_ she thought to herself. _Makes sense, I guess…Mom and Dad couldn't have another child after Jin, so…_

Shion let out a frustrated sigh as she struggled to get comfortable. She turned her head to the side, looking at her sleeping lover. His chest rose and fell in a steady pattern as he held Shion gently by the waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her cheek against his. She couldn't believe she had almost lost him that day…she would have never felt his touch or heard his voice ever again…the thought alone frightened her.

Even close to him, she felt restless. She couldn't keep her eyes closed. Something inside of her wasn't letting her relax…sighing again, she slowly sat up.

_Maybe a walk will calm me…_ She got to her feet and slid on her shoes. As she walked towards the other side of the bed, Allen warily opened one eye.

"Allen, I'm going to the Park Area for a while, okay?" she said softly. Allen made a noise of sleepy agreement. "I'll be back in a little while." Shion bent over and gently kissed him on the forehead, then walked out the door.

About twenty seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Allen sat up, completely awake. He walked over to the door and pressed the button to open it. Gaignun stood on the other side, a look of anticipation on his face.

"Have you thought about it?" the U.R.T.V. asked him, widening his eyes.

"Yeah, I have…" Allen said. "And I decided to go through with it."

Gaignun grinned at him. "Yes, secret covert operation plan B shall commence! Come on, I'll show you the best place…" he said, ushering Allen out the door.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of the fountain behind him was somewhat soothing as he looked out into the stars through the huge window.

"_Come on, Rubedo…come have some fun with your brother!"_

"Should I go?" Jr. asked the surrounding air. "Should I confront Albedo? God, I don't know what to do anymore…without him, I just don't know what my life is for…" His eyes filled with tears and he let out a sniff.

His ears perked up at the soft sound of footfalls behind him. He rolled his eyes and said bitterly, "Gaignun, stop looking at me like that. I didn't have my hand down my pants."

"That's, er, nice, Jr…..but I'm not Gaignun," a feminine voice replied. Jr. quickly wiped his eyes and looked over his shoulder to see Shion approaching him.

"You sure it's all right for the commander to be hanging around here?" Shion asked, sitting down beside him.

"It's okay. Mary and Shelley can handle things just fine," Jr. replied resentfully.

"You're thinking about this?"

A brief, awkward pause ensued between the two of them. "He keeps calling me. It seems he wants to settle the score," Jr. told her.

"But he's your brother. Are you sure you can fight him?" Shion said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I dunno. But I have to go," Jr. explained, trying to keep himself from crying. "I can't...I can't just let things stay the way they are now. I'm the only one who can stop him, so..."

"Jr…." Shion said.

"Hm?"

"What's it like? I mean, not having Albedo around anymore."

Jr. turned to face the woman, his eyes a bit red. Shion was surprised to see that he was actually almost crying. "It's…it's like…when you accidentally bite into a painkiller, and all that nasty-tasting liquid comes out…or, or maybe it feels like my past is taking its proverbial foot and kicking me in the proverbial shin or balls or something…"

Jr. let out a sigh. "Well, it just doesn't feel very good. Imagine if Jin was to suddenly die one day, and it was your entire fault."

_Jin…die? _Shion thought. Would she be able to live without her brother if something like that were to happen? Shion shivered and pushed the thought out of her mind.

"And now, every day, it just feels like I'm swimming through the ashes of his life…" Jr. rested his head in his hands. "I can still remember the way he screamed for me that day… can still remember his scream as he was swallowed by pain, slowly falling apart…"

Shion looked at him, feeling sympathy for the Little Master, as well as his brother. "For a long time after the war, I grew paranoid about it," Jr. continued. "I felt like everyone was pointing their fingers, always condemning me…but nobody, not even Gaignun, knows what I believed."

"Well, what _do_ you believe?" Shion asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jr. hesitated for a moment, his shoulder trembling beneath Shion's touch. "I think that underneath it all…" Jr. finally spoke, "…his heart and soul are still there. Still there, waiting for his big brother to come and save him…"

And at that, Jr. broke down, crying. He rested his head on Shion's shoulder, tears rolling down his cheeks. Shion immediately tensed, surprised at the sudden contact. But she eventually relaxed, awkwardly placing her arms around him. He responded by crying harder, wrapping his arms around her.

Shion couldn't believe it…he was actually _crying_. She had never seen him cry before, excluding a few single tears. But this…this just wasn't like him. Yet there he was...crying in the arms of an almost complete stranger who never in a million years would have felt comfortable stroking his hair.

After a few moments, Shion began to wonder how the boy in her dreams would feel in her arms. He was probably soft and warm, just asking to be held...

Wait, _what_ was the _thinking_?

Jr. slowly pulled away from Shion, wiping his eyes and nose on the back of his sleeve. "A-Anyways...how are Ziggy and Allen?" he asked in a small voice, eyes red and cheeks flushed from crying.

"Allen's sleeping," Shion told him. "As for Ziggy...I don't have any details, but I know Momo hasn't left his side since she started repairing him."

"I see...I think I'll go check in on them," Jr. said. "We'll be heading out as soon as everything's ready. Tell everyone to be on standby."

"Okay."

Just as Jr. was walking out the door, he turned to face Shion again. "Oh, and Shion, promise me one thing..."

"What?"

"Make sure you never lose Jin." And with that, he walked out the door.

Shion stared at the door for a few seconds, letting his words sink in. _"Make sure you never lose Jin..."_

"Jin..."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Ziggy sat in his maintenance chair in the Durandal's communication room, Momo by his side. Bare circuits still stuck out from the socket where his mechanical arm was. A communication hologram floated in front of them, Juli Mizrahi displayed inside of it.

"Those are custom Ziggurat-series compatible parts there. They treat the repair manual like an ancient manuscript. It was difficult to get a hold of," she said, almost letting out a laugh.

"Thank you very much, Dr. Mizrahi," Ziggy said.

"You can call me Juli. I'm tired of the whole 'Doctor' thing," she replied quickly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "By the way, Jan Sauer, I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Yes?"

"I understand you've been refusing lifespan extension on your organic components. It's already been a century since you were revived," Juli pointed out. Ziggy nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"The average lifespan of a living brain that hasn't undergone extension is 130 years," she stated. "Would you consider living just a little while longer? For Momo's sake?"

Momo gave both Ziggy and Juli a hopeful look. "Besides, there are a few things I'd like to learn from you. From the way you live..." Juli said in an almost dreamy tone of voice.

The cyborg closed his eyes, deep in thought. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course. I'll be waiting to hear the good news," Juli said. She flashed Ziggy a big smile before disconnecting.

The door slid open and Jr. came through, a guilty look on his face. "Eh, sorry. Guess I was eavesdropping again."

"I don't mind. I have nothing to hide," Ziggy replied. He turned to face Momo. "Momo, I'm sorry, could you go get the parts for me?"

"Okay!" Momo answered brightly. She brushed against Jr.'s shoulder on the way out, setting the nerves on fire.

"You know, that was the first time I've ever seen you angry," Jr. said once he was sure Momo had left. "I guess even you still have some feelings like that."

Ziggy looked at Jr., a bit confused. "To be honest, I'm kinda relieved. You really are human, after all," Jr. said, a smirk on his childish face. "And after all your lectures, you couldn't keep your head in front of your enemy, either!"

"Hmm. I guess it applies to both of us," Ziggy said.

"Yeah... When it comes to him, I just can't control myself..." Jr. closed his aqua-blue eyes. "I lose sight of _everything..._"

"Jr.," Ziggy said. Jr. closed his eyes again and cringed, thinking a lecture was coming up. "I won't pretend to understand what you're thinking, and I have no intention of rebuking you. Just do what you feel is right."

The U.R.T.V. opened his eyes again in surprise. "Old man..." he gasped.

"Just go and show him a thing or two," Ziggy told him.

"Yeah!" Jr. exclaimed, harboring a new respect for the man beside him. "Yeah, I'll do that!"

Jr. ran out the door, face brighter, shouting a quick thanks at the cyborg.

"I sure hope he knows what he's doing..." Ziggy said, closing his eyes again.

---------------------------------------------------------

About ten minutes later, Jr. strode quickly towards the E.S. hangar, his heart pounding in his ears. He was hoping nobody would find him leaving...

"You're going, aren't you?"

Jr. slowly turned to his left to see Momo approaching him from the adjacent hallway, a frightened look in her eyes.

"Momo... I figured I'd sneak off while Gaignun wasn't around, but I never expected to be caught by you. Guess it's no surprise from a 100-series," he said, moving closer to her.

"Are you going by yourself?" she asked timidly, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

"Hm."

"Why? You always try to take on everything by yourself!" Momo said, a single tear running down her cheek. "Can I...can I go with you, too?"

"Sorry... He's calling me. He says it has to be me. I'm his brother, after all," Jr. replied, turning his head away from her. "I wasn't always a good big brother, but now...I've at least got to settle this."

"Jr..." Momo said after a brief pause, more tears spilling from her amber eyes.

"I'm sorry. Do me a favor and think up an excuse to tell the others," Jr. said, opening the door to the hangar.

"You're coming back, right?" Jr. stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the crying girl.

"Hm?"

"Please promise me...promise you'll come back! If you don't, I...I..." Momo's sentence slowly died as she looked into Jr.'s eyes. His expression softened as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms lightly around her waist.

"Don't worry, I'm coming back..." he said. "But in case something happens to me..."

Jr. leaned forwards, pressing a quick kiss against her cheek. He let go of her and called, running in the opposite direction, "Don't forget me!"

Jr. ran through the open door, his feet pounding against the metal grated walkway as he went to board the E.S. Asher. In one swift leap, he jumped to the top of the mech and into the cockpit.

He slowly opened his eyes as the cockpit lights turned on. The hangar door in front him opened as he rapidly pressed buttons, starting up the E.S.

Momo looked at her hero, watching his mech fly out into the open space, moving towards the bright purple space-time anomaly, where his brother was waiting. She brought a hand up to the cheek where he had kissed her. The cold metal of the bracelet he had given her brushed against her skin. She brought her hand back down to look at it, remembering the day he had given it to her...

_"I don't know if Realians believe in charms or not, but here! It's for luck!"_

That bracelet had helped her in hard times, given her hope when she had none...and now, as she watched Jr. leave, she didn't know what to feel anymore. She just felt...empty.

Sighing and trying to hold the tears down, she turned on her heel and started towards the train to go to the bridge.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Shion and Mary were standing on the bridge as Momo came up the elevator, a sad look on her face.

"I wonder what's wrong," Mary whispered to Shion. The other woman shrugged.

"The third hangar's hatch has been forced open. The E.S. Asher is moving onto the catapult," one of the 100-series said, staring at her monitor in disbelief.

"What?" Mary demanded, turning to look at her. Her answer was the E.S. Asher flying at full speed past the view window towards the space-time anomaly.

"Little Master! What's he doing?" Mary asked.

"Little Master, please come back. Little Master!" another 100-series called over a communication line to the Asher. Jr. didn't respond. "It's no good. Communications are off."

"Um, Jr. said he wanted to go...test his craft," Momo said, trying to think of an excuse like Jr. had asked. "So...he should be right back."

"Momo...Jr.'s going, isn't he?" Shion asked, seeing through Momo's charade.

"Um...well... He promised. He promised he'd come back. So I..." Momo began to say. She was cut off by Mary's chest pressed against her face in an embrace.

"You really are a good girl, MOMO. This is the Little Master's fault, making everyone worry like this," Mary comforted her. "When he gets back, we're gonna give him a spanking he won't forget."

Hehehehe, dude, that's freaky.

-------------------------------------------------------

An eerie tingling ran up Jr.'s spine as he stepped down from the E.S. Asher, relieved to feel that the snake-like purple cavern was solid. He began to wonder about Albedo, and what he was planning to do with this place...

Looking up, Jr. saw a transparent boy looking back up at him, just about his age and height. His eyes were very bright green, and his hair was dark brown...

Jr. didn't know what was happening, but frankly, he didn't care. All that mattered to him now was getting to Albedo...

And that was precisely what he was going to do.

-----------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: Wow, that REALLY took me a while to write. I'm sure it sucked, since the majority of it was typed at 2 AM...**

**So, yeah...R and R!**


	13. Any Way the Wind Blows

**I'm baaaaack…hehehe! This chapter is a sad one…I know I'm gonna cry while writing it. –Sad face-**

**Neo: Aw. Poor baby.**

**I feel as bad as I did at the end of Revolutions, when you died, Neo! –Bawls-**

**Neo: Hm. Yeah, well, it didn't feel too pleasant for me either. –Sigh- KOS-MOS rox doesn't own anything in this chapter.**

**Some of the dialogue in this chapter is written in song lyrics, so don't review me saying "HEY, YOU STOLE THAT FROM A SONG!" because I'm well aware if it. LOL**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 13: Any Way the Wind Blows**

"Rubedo…" the boy said in a calm voice, looking at the U.R.T.V. Jr. studied him with the utmost interest, having no idea what was going on.

"H-How do you know my name?" Jr. asked frantically, searching the boy with his eyes. His physical features were subtle, yet perfect, and his eyes were a very bright green. He wore clothes very similar to chaos, but except of gold, the jumpsuit was green and black. He wasn't wearing gloves either. In his right ear, he wore a silver cross earring.

"I know many things about you," the boy stated matter-of-factly. "But that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is getting Albedo back."

"How do you know about Albedo?" Jr. demanded, placing his hands on his hips. "Who are you? I _demand_ to know!"

"I know how you feel about him…" the boy continued, ignoring him. "In the chill of the night, you can feel your heart racing as you run towards the light that seems so far away…wandering forever in the darkest of shadows, wondering if you will ever see him again…"

Jr. stared in disbelief at the kid in front of him, not being able to comprehend how he knew that. That was exactly how Jr. felt…lost in a dark maze, waiting for his brother…

"No matter. We should move quickly before this thing has a chance to spread." The mysterious boy snapped his fingers, and a bright green portal appeared just behind them. "Follow me."

Just as the boy was about to step through the portal, Jr. stopped him. "Wait a second, what's your name?" the redhead asked, approaching him.

The boy paused, looking at the ground. "I don't know yet," he replied in a melancholic tone of voice, not bothering to turn around.

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After stepping through the portal, Jr. found himself in what looked like a forest. A young Albedo knelt in front of a tree, clawing at the dirt. His hands sunk beneath the surface, and he pulled a large chunk of the earth out. Kirshwassers stood all around him, watching him dig.

Jr. blinked in confusion at Albedo as the mysterious child stepped out in front of him, looking at the digging U.R.T.V.

"Digging in the dirt, he can feel you getting closer…" he said softly. "He steadies his hands through the blistering pain, anxiously waiting for the earth to reveal you, wondering if he will ever see you again…"

"Why's he doing that, though?" Jr. asked.

"I'm making graves for Rubedo and Nigredo," Albedo said in an insane, almost entranced tone. "It's just for_ pretend_, though…I'm practicing so that when they die, I won't cry!"

Jr. backed away, grabbing the mystery child by the arm. The boy shrugged him off as Albedo stopped digging and looked up, gasping.

"If I link with U-DO again, I wonder if he'll kill me..." he said in a hopeful tone. "I hope he will…he is our leader, after all."

"I…I wouldn't do anything like that!" Jr. snarled at his brother.

Albedo threw his head back, laughing hysterically at Jr.'s comment. "Of course you would!" He turned his head sharply to look at his brother. A malicious look crossed his face as he said in a dangerous tone, "That's how you're built."

The infected variant's eyes began to glow a bright amethyst. "Because we're the _anti_-existence of U-DO!" he growled, glaring at Jr.

Jr. stumbled backwards even further while the mystery boy remained where he was.

"Do you know what the link is like?" Albedo asked in a poison-laced voice, slowly rising from his knees and turning around to face the two of them. The Kirshwassers gathered around him and clung to his body. The one on his leg, closest to his crotch just happened to be KOS-MOS rox!

"It's as _sweet_ and _seductive_ as a deal with the devil…" Albedo described in a dreamy voice. He groaned and sighed in pleasure as the Kirshwassers began to stroke him. Hehe. _All right._

"Holy shit…" Jr. stammered, turning around. The boy beside him grabbed his arm and whirled him back around, almost making him fall over.

"Come, there's more to see," he said, snapping his fingers once again. Another green portal appeared just beyond Albedo's little Kirshwasser party. Jr. whimpered and walked next to the boy who had a firm grip on his collar, carefully avoiding Albedo.

Suddenly, the green-eyed child started to snicker uncontrollably. "Hey, what's so funny?" Jr. demanded.

"Rubedo, you're so…_short_!" The boy began laughing hysterically, letting go of Jr.

Jr. turned around, his face red with fury. "I am _not_ short! I'm vertically skinny! Besides, we're the same height!

"I'm sorry…" the boy said, brushing a tear from his cheek. "It's just…I'm not used to you like this, Rubedo…"

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The sickening sound of a punch rang out, and the girl fell to the carpeted floor, unconscious.

Jr. looked in shock at the horrendous scene in Sakura's bedroom as his brother hit her in the face.

"I don't like you! You're bothering Rubedo, the way you always try and _flirt_ with him…_say something, you mannequin_!" Albedo screamed insanely, glaring at the unconscious Sakura.

Albedo ran over to Sakura and pounced on her, straddling her hips. "What are you doing? _Stop it_!" Jr. cried, running up to them and trying to pull Albedo off of Sakura. The mystery boy remained in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

Jr. grabbed the back of Albedo's U.R.T.V. uniform and tried to rip him off of his lost love. Albedo jerked away and punched Sakura in the face, grunting with anger. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his pupils grew pinpoint.

"_I hate you!_" Albedo screamed, hitting her again and grunting angrily. "_I hate you!"_

Jr. finally got a good grip on Albedo's arm when he reared back to punch again. "I said, _stop it_!" he yelled, looking his brother in the eyes.

"What? Why are you stopping me? You are so annoying," Albedo complained, panting heavily. "It's not like you have any real power. The only thing you can do is butter people up!"

Albedo reached down and pulled up Sakura's upper body by her hair. "I _hated_ this girl! She was always flirting with you!" he said, infuriated.

"I'm glad she's dead. I am." Albedo paused, still trying to catch his breath. "Now, there's nobody around trying to seduce you!"

"That's _enough_! Let go of Sakura!"

Blinded by rage, Jr. reared back and punched Albedo in the face. The infected one flew across the room and onto the desk, knocking a lamp onto the floor, which shattered when it hit. Outside the small window behind Albedo, Jr. could see U-DO swirling angrily as if it was caught in a violent wind.

"Rubedo…" the boy whispered as Albedo tried to regain his bearings after being punched. Jr. turned around to see him pointing at the slain body on the floor. Jr. threw him a weird look before the child mouthed, "Look again."

Jr. looked down and gasped as he saw that Momo was dead on the floor, not Sakura. Her expression was calm and neutral, almost as if she was asleep. "M-Momo?" Jr. stammered, horrified.

"No, that's right, there's still that imitation," Albedo said in a gravelly voice, wiping some blood off of his cheek.

"Imitation?" Jr. snarled, glaring at him.

"You're such a pitiful man, Rubedo. To think, you have to satisfy yourself with this toy!" Albedo exclaimed, laughing hysterically.

"Albedo, you son of a-"

"Is this rag doll important to you?" Albedo asked mockingly, glancing at the unconscious Momo. "It's too late…she's already been damaged. By my own hand!"

"Stop!" Jr. begged him, tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't say any more!"

"I enjoyed every minute of it, too," Albedo said, panting and licking more blood off of his fingers. "You should give it a try yourself, Rubedo. I'm sure if it were you, she'd be happy to-"

"I told you to _shut up_!" Jr. screamed and punched at Albedo once again, but the U.R.T.V. suddenly disappeared. Jr.'s fist collided with the wall, almost causing him to break his knuckles.

"Ow!" Jr. snarled in pain and jumped backwards, holding his throbbing hand.

"Let's hurry up and finish this. When I kill you, I'll have everything..." Albedo's voice reverberated through the room. "It's so disgusting... I'm sick of you _clinging_ to me like this!"

That creepy laughing filled Jr.'s head as he staggered backwards through the door. "Are you ready?" the boy asked him. Jr. gulped and nodded hesitantly.

"Good. Let's move." Yet another green portal appeared behind them, and the boy leaped through. Jr. took one last glance at Momo in the bedroom before jumping in after him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_He was falling…_

_Falling deeper and deeper into the abyss that was his brother's heart…_

"Oof!"

Jr.'s feet met the floor with tremendous force, causing his knees to buckle. He stumbled backwards and hit his head on the hard tile floor.

Once his blurry vision cleared and the dull pain subsided, he slowly moved into a sitting position. "Damn…what _was_ that?"

"Your consciousness created this matrix, Rubedo," the boy explained, leaning over him. "Your body had to adjust."

Jr. flashed him a confused look before rising to his feet. The boy followed him down a long hallway with mirrors on either side. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the tiny orange flames on the candles looking as if they would go out any second.

"What is this anyway?" Jr. asked, stopping and glancing into one of the mirrors.

"Mirrors?" the boy offered, shrugging. "Like I said, your mind created this. I don't know what it means."

"Hm." Jr. turned and resumed walking, but his mirror image remained stationary.

"Yo, Rubedo! Are you ready to fight now?" his image asked, arms akimbo.

"Wh-what?" Jr. stammered, backing away from the mirror. His image reappeared in the mirror behind him.

"You should just smash him!" His reflection punched the empty air above his head. "It shouldn't be a problem for _you_!"

"Stop it!" Jr. said, whirling around. Terror rose in his chest when he saw his reflection's bloodshot eyes. He was sporting a malicious grin, an aura of insanity lifting from his body.

Again, the image disappeared. Jr. ran to the next mirror to see it reappear, holding its throat. "How long are you gonna keep holding back? Kill him already! Come on!" he prodded in a sarcastic voice.

"Stop it!" Jr. pleaded.

"He was always getting in the way!" the mirror Jr. said. "You don't need a loser like _him _around."

"Stop it!" Jr. stumbled backwards towards yet another mirror, absolutely horrified. His eyes widened when he heard Albedo's voice ring from behind him…

"Hurry up and _kill me_!"

"Stop!" Jr. screamed, pulling out his guns. He fired at the mirror, and the glass shattered into a million pieces.

Suddenly, Jr.'s eyes flashed a dangerous red as his guns clattered to the floor. He fell to his knees and doubled over, a red aura engulfing his body.

"Dammit! Not now!" he screamed in anguish, throwing his head back. "Red Dragon Mode! The anti-U-DO shift! No…_no_!"

As Jr. continued to gasp and choke for air, a blinding white light filled his vision. He suddenly felt someone gently touch his back. Jr. looked over his shoulder to see Sakura Mizrahi behind him, a warm smile on her face.

"Rubedo…don't be afraid," she said softly. "I…I believe in you, Rubedo."

"Sakura?" he asked hoarsely, but he couldn't continue for his throat hurt from screaming.

The boy appeared beside Sakura. "Listen, Rubedo…" he said, looking at the U.R.T.V. "This is vital to my future with you guys." Jr. nodded and waited for Sakura to continue.

"Remember…remember the promise you made my sister?" she asked.

"_Promise me…promise me you'll come back!"_

"She needs you, Rubedo," Sakura said gently, kneeling down and resting her head on his shoulder. "Where I am, I don't. I think it's time we put the past behind us…you've grieved too long for me. Just know that I will always care about you, Rubedo…"

Jr. was about to protest when the revelation of Sakura's death washed over him. She didn't need him, and he didn't need her…she was in heaven with her father. Finally, he felt free…he was ready to move on.

With one final embrace, Sakura disappeared. "Now, get up," the boy said encouragingly. Jr. shakily got to her feet and urged himself forwards as the hallway reappeared.

"I am…me," Jr. said. "I won't…give in to it."

"Glad to hear it," the boy said, creating another portal. Jr. began to step through when he noticed the boy looking at the floor, a look of worry on his face.

"What's up? Aren't you coming?" Jr. asked.

"I can't follow you past this point," the boy explained. "You have to face Albedo yourself."

"Yeah, I know…" Jr. said, looking at the floor. "But one thing I'm wondering is…why are you here anyways?"

"I need to make sure that you make the correct choice, Rubedo," the boy answered. "you need to save him, and you know how…please, save him…if you don't, my life will change."

"What does _Albedo_ have to do with _your_ existence?" Jr. asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"The future can change drastically with the slightest slip of the hand…" the boy mused. "A million different things can happen, no matter how you do something…"

"Small words please, having trouble keeping up," Jr. warned him.

"Um, how about…" The boy furrowed his brow, trying to come up with an easier response. "Ah, screw it. All I know is that my life might be different without him."

Jr. nodded and hesitantly stepped through to portal.

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Jr. stepped onto the tile floor, his feet shaking in his boots. His every step echoed as the fear rose in him. A sudden chill came over his body, causing the hair on his arms and the back of his neck to stand on end. With every step he took, he could feel the beating in his right chest increase with anticipation.

Breathing heavily, Jr. looked around, seeing Kirschwassers being grown in blue liquefied containers. "Kirschwassers?" he said softly.

"Glad you could make it, Rubedo!"

Jr. jumped, almost falling over again. He slowly raised his eyes to look into the amethyst of the creeping terror, Albedo.

U.R.T.V. unit number 667 sat on a throne of sorts, his eyes glowing with the overwhelming and insane power of U-DO. His bare chest glistened under a sheen of sweat. Red and blue tentacles took the place of his legs, taking up the space on the steps leading to his seat.

"Take a look at me! I've finally acquired what I was missing before," Albedo exclaimed. "I may have lost my body, but I feel _so_ much better!"

"Stop the space-time anomaly, Albedo," Jr. begged, taking a few steps closer. "There's still time if you do it!"

"Oh, I'm to repent, am I!" Albedo asked sarcastically. "I think not! As my duty as an immortal, I've prepared a brand new world view for mankind!"

"New world!" Jr. asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"When I temporarily linked with U-DO, I climbed the ladder of evolution and saw the leaning tower of culture that humans have struggled to construct. It's not even a tower, really," Albedo scoffed, eyeing Jr. "It's a scaffold of rotting wood, built with meager knowledge and pitiful tools!"

"Shut up!" Jr. yelled. "I've heard enough!"

"But a nice guy would tell them the truth, would he not?" Albedo continued. "_Hellooooo_? You've got it all _wrong_!" he screamed, leaning forwards in his seat.

"What are you gonna do with this region of space?" Jr.'s breath was coming in small puffs as his stomach flip-flopped with fear and anxiety. Beads of sweat formed in his forehead.

"Who knows? Perhaps I'll cause a shift and shove this whole dimension into a high-order domain. Don't be afraid, we low-dimension creatures will move en masse to a higher plane!" Albedo offered, shaking with anticipation, waiting for his brother to lose control.

Jr. stared in horror as lights of purple began to surge around Albedo.

"It'll be glorious! The true eternal chain!" he yelled happily, laughing hysterically. "The fulfillment of that which we lacked! The evolution of mankind and the evolution of the very world itself that watches over us!"

_No…No, he can't do this!_ "No!" Jr. screamed, holding his head in his hands.

"Happy days are here! They'll name a _holiday_ after me! Something like 'Albedosgiving' or even "World Regeneration Day'!" the white-haired man loudly proclaimed, grinning at his brother. "That is, assuming they even have the concept of holidays on the other side."

That was enough. Enough to set every one of Jr.'s nerves on fire as he doubled over, his Red Dragon power flaring up again.

"Stop!" Jr. screamed in warning. "If you don't stop, I'll have to stop you!"

"Come, my positron…you are an anti-U-DO weapon! My heart tingles with anticipation! A weapon need not feel shame for desiring combat," Albedo said, rising completely from his seat. "For all we know, humans themselves may be weapons created by the world!"

You're right…I am a weapon! Every cell in my body is aching for a fight!" Jr. yelled, straightening himself. His pupils grew pinpoint as his eyes glowed a fierce, angry red. "They long to collide with their anti-existence. I've probably wanted to fight from the moment we were born!"

We think alike, Rubedo. I feel exactly the same way…right now, I'd like to rip you to shreds!" Albedo snarled, baring his teeth at his twin.

Jr. screamed in pure, uncontrollable rage as he forgot everything he had learned about gun safety (which wasn't very much to begin with) and ripped his Makarovs out of their resting place on his hips.

Fancily and skillfully twirling them, he crossed his arms and cocked them. "Bring it on!" he roared. "I'm gonna rip you right outta here and drag you back to the Durandal!"

_Click boom!_

_Click boom!_

_Click boom!_

Jr. fired three bullets at Albedo, knocking him backwards onto his seat. Watching his wounds heal through regeneration, Albedo uttered insanely, "More...give me more!"

Losing control of every thought, emotion, and muscle, Jr. rapidly shot at him, hitting him every time. The force of the blows knocked Albedo backwards, almost causing him to topple over the back of the chair. He healed himself after every bullet hit, grinning madly.

"What can a traitor like _you_ do?" Albedo asked mockingly, launching an aura attack at his brother.

The instant it hit, Jr. felt his nose explode and a shower of blood rain upon his chest. He fell to the ground, cursing the day that he and his brother were born.

"Dammit!" he snarled, trying to stop his bleeding nose. Albedo laughed hysterically and uncontrollably as he watched his brother write on the ground, soaking up all of his pain, waiting for the final moment...

Jr. couldn't see. He couldn't hear, taste, smell, or feel. The rage welling up inside of him came to a head as he spat, "I hate you! I _hate_ you!"

"Not as much as I!" Albedo exclaimed, continuing to laugh.

"I _never_ liked you!" Jr. screamed, wiping the blood from his face. It felt warm and sticky on the back of his hand, and the color of it...he would never forget how red it was...

"You were always _getting in my way_!" Jr. grunted and got to his feet. "You were jealous because I spent time with Sakura! Ugh! Typical little brother attitude! You are _so_ annoying!"

"Then _now_! Kill me now!" Albedo cried, watching as his brother slowly broke down into an insane rage.

"I hate everything about you! Why did I _ever_ love you?" Jr. shot at him some more, his face flushed and sweaty with anger and hatred. "I'm glad I left you that day! I really am!"

"More...more!" the white-haired man screamed in ecstasy, savoring the searing kiss of hot lead as the bullets made impact with his body. The normal feeling of emptiness and loss was replaced by a feeling of complete and utter exhilaration now that his brother was about to kill him. _Red_ and _white_...fighting just like they ought to.

Forgetting that his guns were mere pistols, he pulled the triggers, firing them as if they were machine guns. He cried out in frustration as he watched his brother practically dancing in glee every time a bullet hit him. Muttering and growling every profanity he had ever heard (shit, damn, Bob Saget, and Barbara Streisand were among them) he rooted around in his coat, searching for more ammo.

After he finally got the new clip into place, he continued shooting Albedo, incorporating some fancy footwork to avoid Albedo's attacks. Angry red aura exploded around the Little Master.

He continued shooting until he only had one bullet left. _One bullet_. One bullet could determine between life and death, between a brother's love and his hatred…

_Please, baby, please…_Jr. begged as he pulled the trigger. Watching as the bullet traveled in almost slow motion, he half-expected Albedo to bend over backwards, neatly avoiding it and then to hear one of his Kirschwassers say "Dodge this" into his ear and then shoot him in the head.

Thank God that didn't happen…KOS-MOS rox would have been labeled "Way Too Obsessed".

Albedo felt the bullet enter his chest, piercing a lung. He coughed and sputtered for air as the tentacles disappeared, revealing his legs, covered by a white cloth. He stumbled down the flight of stairs, landing in front of Jr.

The ceiling rumbled as the columns on either side of the room began to fall apart. Jr. looked upon his brother with dismay, cursing himself for what he had done.

"Not bad…Rubedo," Albedo gasped, a small smile forming on his face.

"A-Albedo? You…" Jr. began, at a loss for words. Albedo let out a quiet, relieved laugh.

"Well, Rubedo? Admit it," Albedo said softly, looking into his brother's blue eyes. "You enjoyed that…didn't you?"

"Y-Yeah. It was fun…my blood danced in my veins," Jr. admitted sheepishly. "We really are nothing more than instruments of war."

"No, no, that's not it." Albedo said, shaking his head solemnly at Jr. "We're not foolish because we're tools. It's because we're men. Oblivion, huh?"

Jr. stared in horror and disbelief as Albedo's left arm went transparent. Studying it, Albedo sighed and said calmly, "You might say this is a release…at least I won't have to fear losing anyone anymore."

"Albedo…no," Jr. whimpered, beginning to feel the burning sensation of tears clouding his bright blue eyes. He bent over, staring at Albedo's now-transparent hand.

"What's with that face?" Albedo asked, reaching up with his right hand to gently touch Jr.'s trembling lower lip. "You look like you just lost your best friend, Rubedo."

"Y-You bastard!" Jr. tried to say over the lump forming in his throat. "You knew…all along…"

Jr. drew in a shaky breath as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "What are you talking about? Albedo asked, watching him. Jr. began crying harder, trying to wipe the tears away quickly.

"Rubedo, make sure you keep an eye on your so-called goddess…and keep an eye out for what she will bring."

_So-called goddess? What is he talking abo- _Jr. let out a small gasp. "Sh-Shion?" Jr. asked through the tears, bewildered.

Albedo gave him a wry smile and nodded slowly. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath. Warmth consumed his whole body as freedom came upon him at last…the moment he had been waiting for for fourteen years.

"Ah, look, Rubedo…" he said softly. "I'm free…"

Then, Albedo fell to his side, unconscious. His countenance showed an undisturbed peace, like he was a sleeping child.

Jr. gasped hoarsely, breaking down into hysterical crying. "No, Albedo, no! _No_!" he bawled, throwing himself on top of his lost twin.

"Don't leave me here alone!" Jr. cried. "I'm going to save you, Albedo! I _swear_ it!"

Jr. wiped the tears away, plunged his hand into Albedo's chest, and fell limp against his body, diving into his brother'ssubconscious…

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**Woot for more cliffhangers! XD**

**Hey, I've got a deal for you guys…if this story breaks 100 reviews, I'll draw you guys a request! Just review with what you'd like to see drawn, okay?**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off!**


	14. Lifeblood

**Ooh, angst pudding!**

**Neo: I prefer chocolate myself.**

**Hee hee!**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox doesn't own anything in this, so stop asking me!**

**He's cranky today T.T**

**The lyrics dialogue note from the last chap is applied to this one as well.**

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_Previously in Die Kraft der Liebe…_

_Jr. gasped hoarsely, breaking down into hysterical crying. "No, Albedo, no! No!" he bawled, throwing himself on top of his lost twin._

"_Don't leave me here alone!" Jr. cried. "I'm going to save you, Albedo! I swear it!"_

_Jr. wiped the tears away and plunged his hand into Albedo's chest and fell limp against his body, diving into his subconscious…_

_And now, chapter 14._

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**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 14: Lifeblood**

When Jr.'s head finally stopped spinning, he found himself in a great white room that seemed to stretch for miles and miles in each direction.

_This…this is Albedo's conscience?_ Jr. wondered. Looking around wildly, he began to run. He closed his eyes and ran as fast as his twelve-year-old legs could carry him.

After a few moments of nonstop sniffling and sprinting, he finally saw _him_. A young Albedo sat crossed-legged, his back facing Jr., clad in a white short-sleeved shirt and white pants, making it hard to distinguish him from the surroundings. The redhead grunted and took a flying leap, landing with a thud next to his brother. "Albedo…" Jr. muttered triumphantly.

At first, nothing seemed different about Albedo. But the more Jr. looked at him, the more changed. His face was pale…or at least paler than it was before. His amethyst eyes were dark, cold, and hard. Blood stained the front of his shirt and pants. Jr.'s eyes dropped to his brother's wrist, he noticed self-inflicted scars and scabs, and enclosed his right hand was a bloody knife. Jr. almost screamed in fright when he saw the crimson liquid dripping from the blade.

"You came," he said in a dark, yet sane, voice.

"A-Albedo?" Jr. asked.

"Why did you leave me?" he asked coldly, turning away. "Now I'm trapped in this place forever."

"You're not trapped," Jr. told him. "I've come to take you back."

Albedo shook his head, glaring at Jr. "This cold and dark tormented hell is all I'll ever know, so when you get to heaven may the devil be your judge."

"What are you talking about?" Jr. pleaded in a small voice. "Please, come back with me! Besides, this place isn't very cold…or dark."

"No. You and Nigredo don't care about me anymore." Tears began running down Albedo's cheeks. "That's why you were going to die and leave me alone. I know it. I could tell you didn't care anymore when you hit me."

"I never hi- Oh…"

"_You idiot!" His fist collided with his brother's cheek. "Don't you ever pull anything like that again! If you die, you can't come back to life!"_

"See?" Albedo remarked calmly. "That's why it's better here. I can be away from all the people who hate me."

Jr. looked at him, about to cry again. "But, the more I'm here…the more I realize that I'm alone…" Albedo said, looking at the floor again. "There's nobody to catch me as I fall…say that they're here, and that it's all over now…"

Tears began to run down Jr.'s cheeks despite his best efforts to hold them back. "Speaking to the blank atmosphere, no one's here and I fall into myself," Albedo continued, his body beginning to shake violently. "This truth drives me into madness, but I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away…"

_If I will it all away…_Albedo's words echoed in Jr.'s mind. The redhead gasped as Albedo cried out and lifted the knife in his right hand, making a fresh cut in his left wrist, gasping in pleasure and liberation as the blade broke his skin. As he flexed his left hand, bright red blood seeped from the cut. Albedo set down the knife and let out a sigh of relief.

"Wh-what did you do that for?" Jr. asked squeakily, feeling like he was going to pass out.

"The sweet pain, Rubedo…it's the only thing I can feel anymore…" Albedo answered, shuddering with delight as the claret liquid ran off of his arm, staining the pristine white floor.

"Touch it," Albedo commanded, holding out his bloody wrist to Jr. "It won't hurt me. I'm numb to everything now."

Jr. hesitated for a moment, staring at the cut. But when Albedo prodded him some more and moved his arm closer, Jr. reluctantly reached out and brushed his fingertips over it, feeling the slippery and warm liquid coated them. Bringing his hand closer to his face, he could see his own reflection…the blood was red, so red…

"Now, you do it too." Albedo held the knife out to Jr.

"No way!" Jr. exclaimed, scooting away from Albedo. "I'm not slitting my wrist!"

"If you don't…" Albedo said, twirling the knife through his fingers so that it pointed back at his body. "I'll stab myself in the heart. Just like you did...you stabbed me right in the chest."

Jr. imagined Albedo impaling himself on the knife, and his face contorted in pain as he coughed up blood…

"Gimme that!" Jr. snatched the knife from Albedo, wide-eyed, and held it in his right hand. He looked it for a few seconds, the image of Albedo slitting his wrist replaying over and over in his mind.

He hesitantly placed the tip on his left wrist, studying the menacing steel blade. Biting his lip and whimpering, he pressed down and dragged it, feeling the white-hot pain as it broke the surface.

Tears of hurt clouded his eyes as he set the knife down and looked at his cut. "Mmm…lifeblood…" Albedo moaned, moving across from his brother.

Jr. let out a grunt of pain as fresh blood ran from the scratch. "Now, put yours on mine," Albedo instructed, holding out his wrist. Jr. signed in defeat and pressed his own cut against Albedo's. It stung for a moment before Albedo's body ignited with purple aura and he said, "Now you can feel my pain."

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The next thing Jr. knew, he was standing in the courtyard of the Yuriev Institute. The sun shone bright into his eyes, causing him to squint. For some reason, he felt angry and abandoned…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footfalls behind him. "What?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. But the voice that came from his mouth wasn't his…this one was more nasally.

Jr. inwardly gasped as he saw his fiery-haired past self, along with a calm-faced Nigredo, standing behind him. Rubedo looked angry, as if he was about to kill somebody. _What the hell is going on?_ Jr. wondered. He looked down at his right hand, expecting to see the red number "666" emblazoned on the palm. Instead, he saw the number "667".

"What were you thinking? Number 623's badly injured!" Rubedo spat harshly, words laced with poison.

Having no control over his actions, Jr., or Albedo, heard himself say, "Is that what this is about? All he's got to do is just regenerate. What's the problem?"

"Re…generate?" Rubedo asked, flashing him a confused look. Nigredo narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in interest.

Before Jr. could react, he felt his right arm rise and move closer to his head. His powers activated, and he saw a blue energy orb form around his hand. "Regenerate…like this!"

_POW._

Albedo, or Jr. (I'm so confused!) felt his head being ripped from his neck. The pain was unbelievable, but a few seconds later, he felt a tingling sensation as he regained vision and hearing. _So that's what it feels like…_Jr. thought, in complete awe at his brother's unique power.

"See?" he asked, closing his eyes and cracking his neck. When he reopened them, he saw himself and Nigredo with looks of utter horror and disgust on their faces. Suddenly…

"You _idiot_!" Rubedo's fist smashed into Jr.'s jaw, sending him flying backwards and to the ground. Nigredo hurried up behind Rubedo, taking his arm so that Rubedo couldn't punch Jr. again.

"Don't you _ever_ pull that again!" Rubedo screamed, glaring menacingly at Jr. "If you die, you can't come back to life!"

Rubbing his cheek, Jr. felt fear and nervousness rising in his chest. "You mean…are you saying you can't regenerate?" the nasally voice asked timidly.

"Of course not!" Rubedo spat, lunging at Jr. again.

"Stop it," Nigredo whispered harshly, restraining Rubedo once again.

"That's a special ability only you possess," Rubedo explained to Jr., panting heavily.

"Only…me?" Jr. felt himself begin to cry. He had never felt so sad or alone before. "You're both gonna die…and leave me behind?" he asked through the tears. "No!"

Jr.'s body got to its feet and ran to Rubedo. He wrapped his arms around Rubedo's waist and buried his head in his chest.

"I don't wanna be alone!" Jr. heard himself yell hysterically. "If you die, I wanna die too!"

As Jr. continued to sob, Rubedo, embracing Jr., said, "Stop it…don't say things like that." He began to weep as well. "You're making me sad too!" Nigredo looked upon his brothers with sorrow as Jr. felt himself fade away, a dark demon gripping his consciousness…

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Then, Jr. found himself in the small garden area of the Yuriev Institute. Looking down at he saw the number "667" staring menacingly back at him. He looked around, the feeling of being abandoned relentless in his mind.

Dropping to his knees in front of a tree in the middle of the path, Jr.'s hands sunk beneath the soil, the biting cold causing his fingers to tingle. "I won't cry...I won't cry..." Jr. lectured himself, clawing at the dirt. He watched through blurry vision as the hole grew with each pull. Repeating his sacred mantra over and over again, he heard someone approach him from behind.

"667?"

Jr. turned to see a non-variant standing idly behind him. "Go away!" Albedo's voice spat, causing the U.R.T.V. to jump. "Leave me alone! And _don't_ tell Rubedo or Nigredo where I am!"

The blonde gulped and nodded quickly, his bright blue eyes wide with fear. Jr./Albedo growled at him, and the blonde tore out of the garden, almost taking out a female unit on the way. "353? What's going on?" she asked, removing his hands from her back.

"667 was back there," number 353 explained, panting heavily and pointing over his shoulder. "He was digging or something."

"Digging? ...were they graves?" the female asked. Number 353 could only shrug.

"When they die, I'll dig graves just like I am now," Jr. reassured himself, trying to hold back the tears that were pressing onto his eyelids. "That way, I won't cry. I won't get upset. I _swear_ it!"

_Don't you worry, you're not liked…how long until you break_? A voice in his head stated with a scary sweetness.

"No!" Jr. heard Albedo's voice scream. "I won't believe you! _Never_!"

_You're happy because you smile, but how much can you fake? You're torn apart by all this, aren't you?_

"I don't know!" Jr. screamed in anguish, grabbing his head.

_Not an ordinary boy, don't have an ordinary name...but ordinary's just not good enough today, now, is it?_

"Stop it, please..." Jr. begged in a small voice, biting his lip roughly.

_You're a monster! An abomination of nature! Both you **and** Rubedo!_

Jr. felt himself begin to go insane. The dark and sinister hold on his mind grew ever more intense. "A monster, eh?" Albedo's voice asked, snickering. "We're _both_ monsters...he's my twin, so he _has_ to be!" Jr. threw his head back and began laughing like a madman.

His laughter was interrupted by the automated female voice of the loudspeaker. "Attention. Your attention please. U.R.T.V. units 660-669, please report to the dive room immediately. That is all."

"Perfect! Now my twin can learn his true nature!" Albedo's voice exploded with insane mirth. Rising from his knees and wiping his hands on his pants, he left the garden area and took off for the main building...

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Next, Jr. was standing in a room with a grated floor. When he looked up, instead of a ceiling, he saw a starry sky streaked with search lights. Purple light shone from a hole in the center of the room, around which non-variants and the three variants stood. Jr.'s blood ran cold when he realized what he was going to feel next…

Jr. felt himself involuntarily reaching out and grabbing the hand next to his. He quickly looked over to see Rubedo beside him, a look of total confidence on his young face. Nigredo stood to Rubedo's left, peering coolly into the chasm.

"All right, open spiritual link. All U.R.T.V.s match your individual waves to mine," Rubedo commanded. The rest of the boys held out one of their hands and activated their powers. A blue link formed between their hands.

Immobilized by fear, Jr. could only whimper. He heard Rubedo let out a frustrated sigh as he reached over and put Jr.'s right hand out. "Here it comes…" Rubedo muttered.

Amethyst waves erupted by the center hole, dying out as they crashed into the blue link between the U.R.T.V.s. One approached Jr., and he winced in fear. "I'm scared, Rubedo…don't let go of my hand!" Albedo's voice said squeakily.

"Concentrate, Albedo. Just do it like in training and you'll be f-" Suddenly, Jr. felt Rubedo tense. Looking up at him, he noticed that his bright blue eyes were wide with shock and terror.

"What the…" the link master stuttered, staring out in front of him.

"Rubedo?" Nigredo asked, tilting his head to look at his brother.

Rubedo began to back up, pulling his shaky hand from Albedo. I mean, Jr….God, this is confusing. "Emergency cutoff! Shutting down spiritual link!" Rubedo suddenly commanded, causing his brothers to gawk and gasp at him.

"I know what I'm doing. Even though we think of them as mental waves, the resulting anti-particle collision with us will be converted directly into thermal energy," Rubedo stated. His voice turned hostile as he exclaimed, "Dad knew everything…that _bastard_!"

"The link is already complete. We can't stop it," Nigredo informed him, narrowing his eyes. Rubedo glared at him and continued trying to back away.

"No! Rubedo, don't let go!" Jr. heard himself exclaim frightfully.

"No, I'm cutting the link," Rubedo said, struggling to break free of Jr.'s strong grasp.

"Don't let go!" Jr. begged, hot tears pouring down his cheeks. Rubedo grunted as he broke from Jr., tripping backwards over his own feet. "_No_!"

The link between the brothers faded as the U-DO waves loomed precariously over them. "Oh no," one of the non-variants uttered, his eyes huge with terror.

The non-variants absorbed the waves, screaming bloody murder. "L-let's get out of here!" Nigredo exclaimed hysterically before he and Rubedo began to run. Jr. was about to follow them when he saw a wave hovering over his head. Then, as if a hand of judgment came down heavily upon him, the wave entered his body. It felt like all of the good and sanity was being torn from him, his soul slowly dying as he screamed Rubedo's name…

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"_Stop!_"

Jr.'s scream echoed like a gunshot throughout Albedo's entire subconscious. He quickly broke away from his brother, stumbling backwards. "See how it felt?" Albedo asked darkly. "See how it felt to be alone? To be abandoned? To be _contaminated_?"

Jr couldn't respond. Who _would_ be able to respond to something like that? Jr. pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly to his body. His blue eyes were wide with shock and anxiety. He felt like dying. He _needed_ to die. He had killed Albedo's soul, and that was just as bad as murder.

"Say something, you coward." Albedo flashed him an angry look as his folded his arms in front of his chest.

Struggling to regain his bearings, Jr. stammered stupidly, "I…I never knew…"

"Of _course_ you didn't!" Albedo spat suddenly. "You were always too busy with Sakura! You never noticed me vying for your attention…it was like I wasn't even your brother anymore!"

Jr. watched Albedo's face contort in hurt and neglect. Tears began to mist his purple eyes as he whimpered, "You didn't even care anymore…"

Jr. hung his head in sorrow as he moved closer to his weeping twin. "Look…I-I'm sorry…" he said softly, placing a hand on Albedo's shoulder.

"The only one who cares is that kid who keeps coming here," Albedo said, furrowing his brow.

"Kid?" Jr. asked. "The Mystery Boy?"

"Did he have really bright eyes and shiny brown hair?" Albedo asked suddenly, looking up.

"Y-yeah," Jr. stammered, taken aback by Albedo's knowledge of the child.

"He's been coming around here for the past few days…he told me that you would be coming soon, but I didn't believe him," Albedo said, cocking his head sideways. "He won't even tell me his name…yet, there's something so familiar about him…"

"Pssh, I hear ya," Jr. said. "He was the one who led me here."

A long, eerie silence lingered between the brothers. Then, Jr. blurted, "Albedo, I wanna know how you feel about me _right now_!"

Albedo stared at him for a few seconds, contemplating his response. "It…it's hard to…" Suddenly, lower lip trembling, Albedo screamed, "I love you, but I hate you…I can't get around you!"

Jr. gasped in surprise as Albedo ran over to him, hugging him tightly and crying hysterically. "I breathe you, I taste you, I can't live with out you!" he cried as Jr. hugged him back.

"I just can't take this anymore! I can't take this life in solitude!"

"A-Albedo…" Jr. whispered, feeling warm tears running down his cheeks and tasting saline as they ran into the corners of his mouth.

"But I thought you were never going to come, and that I was going to be here forever," Albedo coughed. "I grew to hate you and Nigredo for leaving me."

"But the truth is, I miss you guys! I miss everything! I'm so isolated here," Albedo said, holding onto Jr. for dear life. "Why would you tear my world apart?"

"Albedo…the truth is, I left my head around your heart…I missed you too!" Jr. exploded in a fit of tears, clinging to Albedo. "It's you when I look in the mirror, and when anyone talks, I hear your voice…sometimes you can't make it…on your own…"

Muffled cries sounded as the boys hugged each other tighter, wanting never to let go. "Wh-why did you go kamikaze on me out there?" Albedo asked Jr., rubbing his eyes.

"I-I dunno…" Jr. admitted. "It was…just…I saw the blood all over your hands…did it make you feel more like a man? Was it all a part of your plan from the beginning?" Jr. looked at his feet, ashamed. "The pistols were shaking in my hands, and all I could hear was the sound…"

Albedo gently patted Jr.'s back as the redhead began crying again. "It's okay. Don't cry," he murmured into Jr.'s silky hair, savoring his scent. The brothers cried together for what seemed like an eternity, twin heartbeats pounding softly together…

After a while, the mournful weeping of the brothers hushed to quieted, exhausted breaths as they held each other with shaking arms. Jr. felt himself falling asleep in his brother's warm embrace, when suddenly; he felt that warmth being torn from him.

"Rubedo!" Albedo cried desperately, grabbing Jr.'s right hand with his own as the white-haired boy began to rise towards a bright light above. The light shone into Jr.'s eyes as he jumped up and grabbed firmly onto Albedo, the red "666" and "667" meeting for the first time in what seemed like forever.

But the pull on Albedo's body was too strong…the link between them broke as Jr. was forced to let go, falling to his knees in sorrow as Albedo screamed his name, fading into nothingness in the bright light.

"_No_! Albedo!" Jr. cried, pounding the ground with his fists. "Dammit!" Suddenly, the redhead felt a sharp, white-hot pain just between his eyes. Urgently, he turned his head to the side and retched violently. His vision distorted, he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and screamed in frustration and pain…

And everything became blurry.

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**Kekekeke, only 1 more review till 100! The 100th reviewer will get a special gift, but I'm not telling you what yet…yay!**

**Sorry for the shortness and repetitiveness…I just felt like leaving it there. Now all I need to do is think of a title for chapter 15…-Thinks-**

**Only 3 chapters left, and then an epilogue!**

**Until next time, this is KOS-MOS rox, signing off! **


	15. Maranatha

**Mr. Anderson, welcome back…surprised to see me? Hehehe, I knew you weren't. And guess what…the humor returns with this chapter! Yay!**

**Neo: Isn't she just hopeless? Geez!**

**Do the disclaimer of mine, Neo.**

**Neo: Own anything in this chapter KOS-MOS rox does not. Talk like Yoda I cannot stop. Watched Star Wars last night she made me. Kill her I am going to.**

**May the fries be with you.**

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_Last time in Die Kraft der Liebe:_

"_No! Albedo!" Jr. cried, pounding the ground with his fists. "Dammit!" Suddenly, the redhead felt a sharp, white-hot pain just between his eyes. Urgently, he turned his head to the side and retched violently. His vision distorted, he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and screamed in frustration and pain…_

_And everything became blurry._

_And now, chapter 15._

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**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 15: Maranatha**

In the slowly deteriorating space-time anomaly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

By some invisible, yet very powerful force, Jr. was thrown from on top of Albedo's unconscious body and thrust backwards into a crumbling pillar, feeling it crush as he made contact. As he fell to the hard marble floor, he could taste blood running from his mouth like a river. "Albedo…brother…" he whimpered before laying his head on the floor in defeat.

Suddenly, as if in a dream, Jr. felt his body being lifted into the air. Looking across the room, he noticed that Albedo's body was airborne as well. Purple aura exploded around both of them as Jr. cried out in surprise and pain. His body felt as if it was being stretched and contorted into several uncomfortable positions. It took Jr. a few painful seconds to come to a startling conclusion…

_He's…he's giving his power to me!_

Jr. screamed in anguish and physical exertion as sweat began dripping from his forehead. Blinded by the bright purple lights, he began panting heavily and biting his lip. Suddenly, the aura was replaced by rich orange lodes of ancient text, encircling the brothers like a ribbon, fleeting in front of Jr.'s eyes.

"The Y-DATA…" Jr. croaked in complete awe, his throat raw from screaming. The lights moving around the two held them together in a bond stronger than steel, yet a little less stretchy than elastic, as Jr. slightly smiled.

Slowly, the U.R.T.V.s lowered limply to the ground. "Albedo…" Jr. said softly before passing out, a look of undisturbed peace on his face. On the other side of the room, Albedo let out a quiet and not (!) insane laugh.

"Thank you…Rubedo…"

And with that, Albedo let his white-haired head fall to the floor.

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_The gray-haired man peered into the glass tube, watching as the young girl slightly stirred. Her bright pink hair stood out sharply against the green liquid surrounding her._

"_If you do many good deeds, with the help of your own angel…" he said. "And the release of the data, of course…" he added softly, "you can become a real girl."_

_Smiling softly, he rested his forehead on the cold glass. "Once you're born, I'll have everything…" he said. "My Momo…my beautiful Momo…"_

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The lift to the Dammerung's bridge slowly rose, causing Mary, Momo, Shelley, and Shion to almost give themselves whiplash looking. They groaned when they saw that it wasn't Jr.

"What's wrong?" chaos asked.

"We thought you would be the Little Master," Shelley replied.

"Well, I could walk on my knees if it would make you feel better," chaos said smugly, stirring a laugh from the Godwin sisters.

As they nervously watched the space-time anomaly disappear, Momo squeaked frightfully, "Do you think Jr. is okay?"

"He'll be fine," Shion softly reassured her, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. As the gentle whirr of the lift sounded again, they all turned their heads quickly. Watching anxiously as it rose, they let out sighs of frustration when it revealed Gaignun and Allen, the younger holding a small shopping bag.

"Shit!" Allen said, quickly hiding the package behind his back. "They weren't supposed to be here!" he whispered harshly to Gaignun.

"What's going on?" Mary asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this," Gaignun reassured Allen in a whisper, snatching the bag from him. "Hello ladies, plus chaos. What's going on?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Jr. went to the space-time anomaly to stop Albedo," chaos informed him.

"Hm…well then, I'd better call Helmer, shouldn't I? I'll be right back," Gaignun said before turning on his heel and going back down the lift, winking at Allen as it descended.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Allen asked Shion in a whisper, as to not worry Momo, walking over to the woman.

"I hope so…" she replied. "Did you have a nice rest?" she asked him, squeezing Momo reassuringly before gently letting go of her and looping them around Allen's neck. He narrowed his eyes at her, confused.

"Rest…? Oh! Right, rest! Yeah, I did," Allen said quickly, a bit too quickly. Hoping to stall Shion's reaction, he quickly leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Momo suddenly stumbled backwards, wide-eyed.

"Momo, are you okay?" Shelley asked concernedly. The young Realian shook her head, clutching her chest.

"Oh, now look! The poor thing's worried herself sick!" Mary exclaimed sympathetically, rushing to her side and gently rubbing her back.

"No, i-it's not that…" Momo said weakly, closing her big, frightened eyes. "I…I feel…"

Everyone gasped loudly as Momo's body was engulfed in a bright white light. The other 100-series on the bridge watched in awe and probably jealousy as her form changed significantly. She grew taller, at least an inch more than Shion, with perfectly pouted lips. Her soft pink hair lengthened to a bit past her shoulders as her hips widened, giving her an amazing set of curves. Mary let out an odd noise of surprise as her new chest popped out.

"Wow…" Shelley gasped as the light around Momo died out, revealing a tall, slender woman. Her sailor suit-like thingy had grown to fit her new body, her beautiful eyes narrowed to the size of Shion's. Awestruck, she studied herself. Shion strode quickly over to Momo, looking her from head to toe.

"Oh no…" Shion muttered.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked urgently.

"She's…she's _taller than me now_!" Shion squealed excitedly, enveloping the not-so-little-anymore Realian in a huge hug, taking her completely by surprise.

"Holy newly-acquired breasteses, Batman! Are those _real_?" Mary exclaimed as Shion let go of Momo, poking one of them. Momo blushed and quickly covered her new busts.

"My sensors are not reading Momo as a Realian anymore," KOS-MOS stated. "Instead, the readings are very similar to those of a normal human."

"How did this happen?" Shelley asked, standing from her navigator chair and walking over to the new Momo.

"Teenage hormones?" suggested Allen, shrugging.

"No."

Everyone turned their heads sharply to look at Shion, whose eyes were burning a fierce green, as chaos clasped a hand to his chest. "This…this was caused by the release of the Y-DATA…" Shion declared confidently. "Joachim Mizrahi designed her this way."

"How do you know?" Mary asked, narrowing her eyes disbelievingly.

"I know many things," Shion replied as her eyes returned to normal.

"He did always say that I could become a normal human," Momo said in a mature, sexy voice. "Perhaps this is what he meant."

"Well, she is technically twenty-six," Shion said pensively, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Think about it. Juli and Joachim must have found out about Sakura's disorder soon after the time when she was born. That was when Joachim probably started secretly creating Momo."

"She's right, you know," Gaignun said as he came up the lift. "That was twenty-six years ago."

"Hey Gaignun," Momo said, smiling at the U.R.T.V.

"Well, _hello_ Momo…" Gaignun said in a savvy voice, kissing her hand and causing her to blush.

"Master Gaignun, you know, the Little Master wouldn't like you doing that," Shelley giggled. Mary let out a loud snort.

"Speaking of chibi-sama, what is he going to do when he sees Momo!" Mary asked, laughing hysterically.

"I think I should go out there and help him," chaos said, shooting the pocket of U-DO in space a wary glance. "Do you mind if I use the E.S. Zebulun?" he asked Momo.

"No, I don't mind," Momo said worriedly. "Just bring Jr. back."

chaos gave her a comforting nod before heading towards the lift. _Of course, I'll need the help of my brother as well…I'll have quite a lot to lug back…_

**_I'm already on my way, Yeshua. _**Wilhelm's voice echoed in his head.

"Watch yourself out there," Allen warned him. chaos looked over his shoulder and smirked smugly at him.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

And with that, the teen disappeared under the bridge's floor as the lift slowly fell…

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His blue eyes slowly opened, feeling a throbbing pain in his forehead. It didn't bother him much…he was used to pain by now. Watching shapes swim in front of her eyes, he slowly sat up in the darkness, feeling woozy and disoriented.

"Go back to sleep."

Jr. squinted, feeling a person's presence over him. Struggling to see further, he saw the luminous eyes and shiny hair of the boy…

"What are you doing here?" he asked groggily. For some reason, he felt so different…

"That doesn't matter," the boy said. "You need to rest."

"But I can't rest," Jr. croaked. "I have to get back."

"Help is on the way…" the boy stated. "Besides, you'll have a surprise when you get back. Let's just say it's a little gift from that madman…"

Before Jr. could react, a feeling of sudden drowsiness and relaxation came over him. He let out a big yawn and stretched as the boy softly and sweetly sang, "_Cam ya aliye, cam ya seila ye…cam ya nali ye, questa vita_..."

Jr. tilted his head backwards and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. Hr had never heard such beautiful singing before in his life. The teen's voice filled his ears, gently lulling him into a deep sleep…

"_La si ta mina…esqueda, ill toggio…_"

The U.R.T.V. let out a small moan as he succumbed to the tiredness that took over his entire body and soul…

chaos and Wilhelm stood about a dozen feet away, mesmerized. Awe filled their glowing eyes as the boy straightened and turned to face them. He politely bowed his head in recognition.

"You…" Wilhelm finally spoke softly after a few seconds of silence.

"Y-You can manifest yourself in places other than their minds now," chaos stammered. "That's amazing…"

"Of course I can," the boy stated matter-of-factly. "What do you think I am? _Human_?"

"Nonsense," Wilhelm said. "You're just as human as anyone."

"Depends on your definition of human…" the boy mused, looking upwards.

After another few moments of silence, chaos asked, "Are…are you going to let them know yet?"

"Probably not for a while," he replied. "I want to give them as much time to rest as possible." He turned to face Wilhelm. "Wilhelm…do you think you could help me out and give them a break?"

"Of course," the claret-eyed man replied. "I was planning on it anyways."

The green-eyed boy's shoulders shook with quiet laughter. Looking at chaos and Wilhelm, he sarcastically asked, "Do you think they'll be surprised?"

"Of course," chaos laughed.

"I assume there will be as least a bit of passing out," Wilhelm muttered smugly.

Yet another uncomfortable silence ensued. "You know, he wasn't really asleep," Mystery Boy told them.

"Yes…we know," Wilhelm said, smiling brightly.

Suddenly, the boy growled angrily. "It isn't my will to stay here like this," he said, turning his head downwards.

"Things must happen naturally," chaos told him firmly, looking further into his face. His beautiful green eyes shone with amazing luminosity, brown hair falling neatly to just before them. He was small; with a slender build…he looked just like…

"How do you feel?" Wilhelm asked the boy, breaking chaos's train of thought. He let out a sigh and crossed his arms in front of his chest, shifting his weight to his right foot.

"I feel helpless," he answered honestly after a second. "I want to be able to make a difference. But where I am now, I can't do anything."

"Don't worry…you won't feel like this for long," the blue-eyed teen reassured him. Mystery Boy flashed them a half-smile.

"Fate will do whatever it chooses to…" he said enigmatically. "After all, we're just dancers on the devil's dance floor."

He slowly turned his back to them, his eyes glowing brightly. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon, then," he said, a large smile crawling across his face. "I can't wait."

And with that, Mystery Boy disappeared in a flash of green light.

"Can you already see the similarities in personality?" chaos asked his brother, smirking.

"Yes…so stubborn," the man said, laughing softly. "And the resemblance…those eyes…"

chaos nodded, snickering. Looking down at the U.R.T.V.s, he asked, "What about these two?"

"I suppose we should take them back," Wilhelm responded.

"Finally. They'll be able to find peace," a feminine voice sounded from behind them. Whirling around, Nephilim's bright blue eyes met their gaze.

"Yes. But…this is not the end," chaos said vaguely. Wilhelm nodded, letting out a sigh.

"No. This is just the beginning," Nephilim agreed. "A tiny ripple has just been born in the world that surrounds them. One day, that ripple will glow into a large wave, and it will swallow even them."

"You're speaking of the Promised Child, correct?" the Vector CEO asked.

"Yes. And that's why I want them to rest…all of them. Even if their rest is but a short one," Nephilim answered pensively, looking up at the brothers.

"Indeed. They will need it," chaos added.

"You should get them help," Nephilim suggested, gesturing towards the U.R.T.V.s. "I bid you boys farewell…" she said before disappearing into thin air. chaos and Wilhelm looked at each other, then at the unconscious Jr. and Albedo. Without saying another word, chaos went to Jr. and Wilhelm to the other. The red-eyed man grunted loudly as he hoisted Albedo onto his back.

"You're the lucky one, Yeshua," he said, staggering under his weight.

"I guess I am," chaos said, gently cradling Jr. in his arms. "Luckily the effects won't come on for a little while.

After advancing farther out of the area, Wilhelm offered, "Do you need me to take an E.S. back? I see that you have two here."

"Yes, please," chaos said, carefully lifting Jr. into the Asher's cockpit. Wilhelm did the same to Albedo in the Zebulun. Once the brothers themselves boarded the mechs, they took off for the Durandal, watching the rapidly disappearing space-time anomaly disappear behind them…

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A little while later, chaos sat in a chair outside of the Durandal's medical bay, twiddling his thumbs nervously. A skimpily-clad brunette nurse (Gaignun must have had some say in their outfits) stuck her head out the door and whispered to him, "Um, the Little Master is waking up…but he's…"

chaos quickly got up and barreled past the nurse, almost taking her out in the process. He rushed over to Jr.'s bed and put a hand on his forehead.

He carefully opened his eyes, the harsh light making him squeeze them shut once again. His head throbbed with intense pain as he said in a raspy voice, "Someone…water…painkillers…" _Wow, all that screaming must have taken a toll on my throat…_ he thought to himself, savoring the feel of the soft bed and pillow beneath him.

"Here you go," a soft voice from above him said. From behind his eyelids he could see that the bright light was turned off, so he cautiously opened his eyes. After his blurry vision focused, he saw the white-haired teen looking down at him and holding a glass of water and two orange pills.

"Ah, thanks man," Jr. said, propping himself up on one elbow and quickly washing the capsules down with water. Narrowing his eyes, he confusedly said, "How come my body feels all weird?"

"You've never used it before…" chaos explained, handing Jr. a small mirror.

"What's thi- Holy Christ," Jr. said in that raspy voice, gaping at his reflection. His face had completely transformed, as if he was a butterfly who had just been in a cocoon. Wait, why in the hell am I comparing Jr. to a butterfly? Wow. Anyways…his chin was handsome and defined, and his mature sapphire eyes glinted attractively in the soft light, obscured by hair that fell to his forehead. He tossed his head to the side, watching happily as his blood red locks swept over his left eye. Grinning from ear to ear, he shot up excitedly, apparently feeling a lot better.

Squealing as he actually looked _down_ at chaos from a healthy six foot one (just like Gaignun and Albedo) he yelled, "Great leaping salamanders of flame! I'm smexy! POUR QUOI?"

"Yep," chaos replied, laughing at his reaction. "By giving you his power, Albedo stimulated your cell growth. We're just lucky that your medical gown grew with you," he explained, smugly smiling. Jr.'s gaze suddenly fell as he sat back down on the bed, letting out a sigh of defeat and grief as he remembered why he was here in the first place.

"He…he didn't make it, did he?" the now adult U.R.T.V. asked in regards to his younger brother, tracing a circle on the white tile floor with a white socked foot…everything seemed to be _white_, reminding him of the one he used to share everything with…

"Think again," chaos told him, his lips curling upwards into a small smile.

The sound of a quiet moan from beyond the teen caused Jr. to shove chaos out of the way, almost knocking him over. "Albedo!" Jr. gasped, seeing his twin partly unconscious on the bed. An IV tube ran into his wrist, and the nurses hovered over him, running various tests on his body.

"Where am I?" the man asked, voice cracking. The Not-So-Little Master quickly got to his feet and basically jumped to his brother's side.

"You're on the Durandal, Albedo," Jr. informed him, taking his hand.

"Rubedo? Is…is that you?"

"Yes, Albedo…I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay. I won't leave you behind."

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As if waiting for winter break (Like me) a few painstaking minutes seemed to drag on like hours for Jr. A younger nurse finally approached him and said, "We've given him a slight stimulant to wake him up. He should be just fine!"

"Thank you so much," Jr. replied gratefully. Albedo sat in the bed, propped up by pillows, scanning the room with purple irises. "How do you feel?" Jr. asked him, crouching by Albedo's bed. That was especially awkward since his med gown was backless, causing the nurses to cry out in surprise and blush.

"Well, I'm feeling okay," Albedo responded, his voice lacking the insanity it had once had. "But…you may want to watch your back. You're giving those lovely ladies quite a show," he informed Jr., pointing at the giggling nurses.

"Huh?" Jr. looked over his shoulder. Noticing his behind, he exclaimed, "Jesus Christ Unguarded Buttcheeks!" and shielded his buttocks with both hands, his face turning the color of his hair. Albedo brought a hand to his forehead and let out a charming (and still not insane) laugh.

"Wow, Rubedo…" he muttered, shaking his head. "You look much more intimidating now that you're in that body…thanks to me, of course."

"Jr.," the older variant corrected him. "Call me Jr. from now on."

In response to Albedo's silence and confused look, Jr. cleared his throat. "Okay, let me explain this…since I was stuck in my adolescent body, I posed as Gaignun Kukai's, who is Nigredo, adopted son. I went under the name Gaignun Kukai Jr." The man took a deep breath and continued, his voice getting higher and higher and face turning blue with every word. "We started the Kukai Foundation and built the Durandal, where we're currently transporting twelve Zohar emulators, along with the 100-series prototype you may remember as 'ma peche', a cyborg, an android, a book-crazy leprechaun samurai, some mystery boy-teen-cat thing, a couple preoccupied by each other's naughty bits, and a partridge in a pear tree!"

Why did Jr. think chaos was a cat? The world may never know.

As Jr. fell the floor with a thud and gasped desperately for air, Albedo stared him with an eyebrow arched and a mouth hanging halfway open. "This'll all be easier once I introduce you to them," Jr. panted, being sure to keep his cheeks covered.

"I surely hope so," Albedo replied. Jr. grinned as he stood.

"Er, thank you, Gaignun Jr.,' one of the nurses said, the blush fading from her cheeks. "You two are free to go anytime," she told them, pressing a few buttons on her connection gear.

"All right!" Jr. exclaimed in his new deep, sexy voice, glancing at the door. "Well, chaos went up to the bridge to tell everyone that I'm okay…we should go shopping for new clothes!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"Sounds good to me," Albedo agreed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "But…can we get another gown to wear on the back?"

"Of course," a middle-aged nurse with a soft voice giggled, handing them each a second gown. They looked at each other sheepishly and tied them around their backs. After sliding on their shoes (which was extremely hard for Jr. since his feet had grown nearly five sizes) they walked, or in Jr.'s case, limped, to the door. Suddenly, Jr. recalled something that kid told him.

"_Besides, you'll have a surprise when you get back. Let's just say it's a little gift from that madman…"_

_I wonder what my surprise is…_Jr. wondered as he pointed out the way to Albedo. _It's probably socks. I **always** get socks._

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About thirty long, _long_ minutes later, everyone who had previously been on the bridge plus chaos stood in almost the exact same spots they had been before. Ever notice how they just stand in the same place all the time? Er, anyways…

"chaos, what is it you wanted us to see?" Momo asked fervently. "I need to know!"

"I think we're all getting impatient," Shion said, smiling at how mature Momo looked now. She still had a lot to learn about being an adult, though…hopefully Jr. wouldn't be the one to teach her. That would make for one creepy Momo.

"Relax, you'll find out eventually!" chaos exclaimed vaguely, folding his arms in front of his chest. The lift's gentle _whirr_ caused them all once again to turn their heads, probably causing severe neck damage and need for a chiropractor.

"We're becoming very dependent on that sound, aren't we?" Allen asked sarcastically.

"Guess who's back like a heart attack," the tall passenger in a raspy voice before stepping out of the black shadows. As if hit on the head by an anvil, the entire group stumbled forwards, their jaws hanging open. New beige boots clicked softly on the floor as he walked closer to them. His red hair was combed neatly over his left eye, hiding the aqua color completely. A new blue and white turtleneck showed off his robust chest and slender stomach, covered by a short, sleeveless leather vest. Feeling like a major badass, he had popped up the collar. Black denim pants were held up by a brown belt adorned with a silver buckle. Last, but not least, his trusty Makarovs were worn by a holder on the seat of his pants. Hehe, he had his guns on his buns. Hey, that rhymed!

"Jr.!" Momo exclaimed. "Wait, you're Jr., right?"

"Y-You're Momo?" he shrieked, bewildered, wondering how that incredibly attractive woman before him could have been that innocent twelve year old Realian.

Momo blushed as Jr.'s mouth opened and he basically began to drool. "Yeah…it's really her," chaos said, chuckling. Momo smirked and ran over to him, diving into his arms. He lost his balance and turned around twice at the force of her glomp, even though she was only five foot five. The woman gently rested her head on his chest when he finally stopped moving. In turn, he rested his hands on her hips, drawing her closer. All of the 100-series on the bridge looked down at their terminals, disappointed.

"I'm so glad…" she whispered. "I'm so glad you're okay…"

"Yeah…didn't I promise?" he asked softly. Her scent was intoxicating, and he felt drunk from her closeness…this all seemed so new to him…

"They look kind of like us," Allen whispered to the Vector chief, smirking. Shion's cheeks flared up with red color as she grinned and kissed him.

"Wow, Jr., you certainly do clean up," Gaignun said as he studied his brother's new form. "I'd better keep my eye on Mary and Shelley, I don't want them to be with you." Jr. blushed and grinned widely.

chaos cleared his throat at Jr. "Oh! Hehe, I get it…I guess I owe my life to this guy," Jr. explained, pointing at chaos, who then gave everyone a wave and proceeded down the lift. "And I owe my new body to…" The lift rose again, revealing a man the same height as Jr., white hair shining in the bridge's bright light, purple eyes shining dazzlingly…

"Albedo!"

The entire bridge seemed to gasp as Allen stepped protectively in front of Shion. Momo stumbled backwards, amber eyes wide with fright. "Hello, Clarice," Albedo muttered, his voice as cool as ice. He wore a black suit very similar to Gaignun's, only the complicated design on the collar was light lavender. He had also gotten a haircut so that his pasty locks were a tame length.

"You know, he didn't really say that," Jr. contemplated. "The actual line was 'Good evening, Clarice.' Very commonly misquoted."

"Whatever," Albedo said, shrugging him off.

"What do you want?" Mary asked, face burning with fury.

"Hey, hey, geez!" Albedo said innocently, putting up his hands. "Don't shoot me! I'm not evil anymore!"

"Are you sure?" Mary asked in disbelief, her upper lip curling.

"Trust him."

Once again, everyone looked at Shion to see that her eyes were glowing. "He won't go back to his aggressive ways. Good will has gotten to him," she said, walking over to him. Offering him her hand, she introduced herself, "My name's Shion. Nice to meet you."

"Right back atcha! Except for the fact that my name's Albedo, but I'm sure you already knew that," Albedo said, shaking her outstretched hand energetically as her eyes lost their glow.

"Well, I'll be damned! He _is_ sane!" Mary exclaimed, her blaring accent almost deafening everyone.

"You'll get used to that," Jr. whispered to Albedo, who was covering his ears with a look of pain on his face. The white-haired U.R.T.V. walked over to KOS-MOS, tilting his head to the side.

"Cool, an android!" Albedo exclaimed. "I like her hair."

"If you revert back to your former ways, there is a 100 percent change that I will disembowel you with my bare hands," KOS-MOS stated flatly.

"She really know how to get right down to the point as well," he said, grinning and stepping backwards.

Gaignun made his way to his estranged brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Albedo…we missed you. Where were you all these years?"

"Well, _Gaignun_…" Albedo began, winking at Jr. "In West Philadelphia, born and raised, on a playground is where I spent most of my days. Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool and shootin' some b-ball outside of the school-"

"Isn't he great?" Jr. asked loudly, smacking hard on the back, causing the younger man to inhale sharply.

"Well, they _are_ twins…" Shion murmured under her breath, elbowing Allen in the ribs as Albedo strode towards them.

Narrowing his eyes in thought and pointing at Allen's still slightly bruised eye, he asked, "I did that, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Allen replied, shrugging. "But I got you in the jaw first."

"Oh. Well I guess that makes us even!" Albedo proclaimed happily, beaming and shaking the Vector employee's hand. "Ah, and is this ma peche I see?" Albedo asked, looking Momo. In response to her terrified look, he quickly added, "And I use that name as an endearing term now, not in a creepy sense. My, you've grown so beautiful…"

As Albedo moved closer to Momo, Jr. became very flustered. An unexplained rage welled up in his chest as feelings of jealousy coursed through his mind. "Back off!" he growled at Albedo, moving in between him and Momo.

"Ooh, touchy!" Albedo muttered, backing away slowly. Jr. gradually calmed down as Momo gently rubbed his back.

"Sorry, man…" Jr. apologized sincerely, panting. "Don't know what came over me." Albedo snickered at the two of them before turning around to face the Godwin sisters and saluted them, flashing them a charming smile. His looks were so handsome and his eyes were such a pretty color…

_Damn, Shelley, he's adorable…_Mary told Shelley over their mental link, smiling back at Albedo. _You know what? You can have Master Gaignun! I'll take Albedo!_

"_No way_! No way, Mary! He's _mine_!" Shelley yelled out loud, standing up from her seat. Suddenly she gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth as everyone stared at her, eyebrows arched in confusion and surprise. Gaignun looked as if he had just lost his best friend, or at least one of his bed buddies…well, at least he still had Mary, Brick 122, and NeoChick.

_Dead_ silence.

"D-did I just say that out loud?" Shelley asked in a squeaky, mortified voice, lavender eyes wide. Everyone nodded still in shock, and Shelley slowly sank back into her chair and whacked her head against the commander's terminal over and over, muttering, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"You know, you can have him now," Mary told Shelley sympathetically, putting a hand on her shoulder. Shelley let out a muffled grunt of frustration before resuming her head pounding.

"Well…" Jr. said in a high-pitched voice. "Let's never speak of this again…"

"Agreed," everyone replied.

"Mary! We have a Zohar confirmed at point 3-E. Referencing the coordinator with the simulator…" a 100-series suddenly stated, hitting a few buttons on her terminal. "There's a 93 percent chance that it's the original that was on Miltia!"

As KOS-MOS backed up the Realian's statement, Mary squealed with glee and clapped her hands. Everyone rushed closer to the view windows, seeing that there was indeed a Zohar floating in space where the space-time anomaly was, blue jewel glinting eerily in the black space…

"Nice work! Alert Isolation team 1!" Mary commanded. "Give it everything we're got!" A rumble beneath the floor indicated that the door to the isolation area had opened and the original Zohar was _theirs_. The 100-series Realians and Mary cheered loudly and gave each other high-fives as Gaignun smirked contentedly. Jr. let out a loud whoop, took Momo energetically into her arms, and kissed her on the cheek. As he let go, they both blushed profusely. Shelley was still hiding her face, embarrassed to the point of putting one of Jr.'s Makarovs to her head.

Once everyone calmed down, an awkward silence followed. Albedo coughed as Jr. rocked back and forth from heel to toe, grinning insanely.

"Hehehe, Shelley!"

"Shut _up_!"

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The Dammerung floated serenely in the space not far from the Durandal. Wilhelm sat alone in his office (he had let the Testaments go early) staring into the Compass of Order. It rotated on its axis at a fast, but steady pace. Inside of the green crystal, he could see the Mystery Boy serenading Jr. just about an hour earlier.

Wilhelm tilted his head backwards and closed his eyes. He let out a sigh, closed his eyes, and sang, "_Word of justice, alleluia…come to dwell here, Maranatha…"_

"_Word of wisdom, alleluia…live within us, Maranatha…_"

"_Word of power, alleluia…_"

"_Live among us, Maranatha…_" chaos continued his song, stepping through the office door. Wilhelm smirked at his brother.

"Yeshua," the Vector CEO nodded.

"Still can't surprise you?" chaos asked, giving him a half-smile.

"Not yet."

After a few moments of meaningful silence, Wilhelm queried, "Did you hear his voice, Yeshua? Wasn't it _beautiful_?"

"Yes. Yes it was," chaos agreed, thinking about the boy. His awesome green eyes seemed etched into his mind as an everlasting image. "But for now, he exists only in our memory…"

"Well, not exactly," Wilhelm pointed out enigmatically, raising both eyebrows. "Still, I can't wait…until he enters the stage."

The brothers looked out of the pyramid-shaped glass, gazing into the vast field of stars that surrounded them, swallowing up everyone who could see them. Voices blending together in perfect harmony, they sang:

"_Word of freedom, alleluia…save your people, Maranatha…_"

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**A/N: Holy crap, that took a really long time! Well, I hope I made Junya and Momo's transition smooth. And if after this chapter you still don't know who Mustardy- er, Mystery Boy is, I'm proud of you. –Grin- Oh! And you can check my user page for a drawing of older Jr.**

**Neo: God, I am going to just pull a bullet-time and shoot her!**

**No you wouldn't!**

**Oh, and for those of you who aren't exactly religious buffs…the word "Maranatha" means either "the Lord is coming soon" or "Oh, Lord, come soon". Yeah, I'm on an Advent kick.**

**And a very happy Christmahanukwanzaakuh to all!**


	16. Archangel's Cry

**I hope you all had a great holiday! I know I did! –Munches on a Ghiradelli eggnog square-**

**Neo: Yeah, her family is full of psychopaths and eccentric aunts, so…**

**Hey, who said they were eccentric?**

**Neo: KOS-MOS rox doesn't own anything in this story but the plot, so stop suing her! That means you, Namco…**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 16: Archangel's Cry**

_The color gray seemed to consume everything as she scanned the misty horizon, walking forwards cautiously. Her blood ran cold and a sudden feeling of fear and anxiety filled her as she felt someone approach her from behind. "Stop! Don't come any closer!" she cried, whirling around to face her pursuer. Biting her lip when she saw that nobody was there, paranoia took over her mind._

_She began to run. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, even though it felt like someone was kicking her knees from behind. Suddenly she lost her footing and she fell, landing hard on her hands and knees._

_Whimpering as her knees throbbed from the pain, she desperately asked, "What do you want from me!" She grabbed her pounding head as tears that she had tried so hard to hold back rolled down her cheeks. The silence in the dead air was her answer, echoing in her ears like a high-pitched buzzer. "I can't take it…" she said, voice shaking. She wanted to scream or kick something, frustration and nervousness trapped inside like kinetic energy. For a few moments, she knelt there, trying to focus on one of the million thoughts running through her mind like quicksilver. Her heart pounded in her chest so quickly that it felt as if it would explode._

_Moaning and crying softly, she covered her face with her hands, trying to block the ghastly image of the chillingly familiar graveyard. Through her eyelids, she could see a bright light from above. Slowly uncovering her face, she saw an angelic form above her through tear-clouded vision. Sniffing and wiping the tears away, she gasped as she saw the Vector CEO hovering in midair, floating on wings of blood red, claret eyes glowing. His chest was bare, and a silken, pristine white garment was wrapped around his waist._

"_M-Master Wilhelm?" Shion stammered, bewildered at the sight. The man nodded, the strands of white hair falling against his face, a countenance of wisdom apparent._

"_That's right, Shion…" Wilhelm said, landing on the cold ground in front of her._

_Wilhelm knelt before her, gently tilting her chin upwards so that her eyes were locked onto his. Upon studying her frightened face, he mused, "Shion…you survived a blast from a FAE that destroyed everything around you, and you were touched by a gnosis yet you remain unchanged…and you still do not accept the truth that you are the Divine Form. Why?"_

_Shion opened her mouth to say something, but noting came out. "Why do you think everyone who loved you died trying to protect you? They knew that you would do amazing things someday. Why did you go straight from high school to Vector? We needed to make sure that you were on safe ground," he told her. "Your hands began to glow when the gnosis were close by…a trademark occurrence in Joachim Mizrahi's creations. That is also why your image is in the Y-DATA."_

_The woman stared at him in awe as tears streaked down her cheeks. "And probably the most important question is…why did I bring your lover back?"_

_Shion's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. "Th-that was you?" she stammered, completely bewildered by all that was going on._

"_Yes, that was me…" Wilhelm replied. "He is vital to the play's next act."_

"_What do you mean?" Shion asked, pleading him with her eyes._

"_Shion, once before, a girl named Nephilim told you to 'see with your heart'…and you did. You saved someone dear to you," Wilhelm told her, parrying her question. _

_Shion suddenly recalled that night out of Proto Merkabah, when she waited anxiously for KOS-MOS to come out of the deteriorating behemoth…Nephilim's voice entered her head as she closed her eyes and saw KOS-MOS running to exit. She urgently told Matthews and Tony to move four hundred meters to the port side, and KOS-MOS exploded from the metal wall. Shion grabbed her hand, but struggled to hold onto the weight…then Ziggy helped her to pull the android safely into the ship._

"_Well…yes," Shion admitted meekly._

"_That is because you have the gift of sight, Shion," Wilhelm informed her. "It is one of the attributes of your powers…you can see into the near future. Mizrahi always said that it came from a genetic anomaly, but…" his voice trailed off._

"_Master Wilhelm?" Shion looked up at him, concerned._

"_Never mind," Wilhelm said quickly. "Go on, try it right now…close your eyes and tell me what you see." Shion hesitated, but then reluctantly closed them. A strange, almost ambient sensation flooded her body. She saw a vague image of Jin's kitchen, Allen sitting on a chair and holding her trembling body protectively…_

_Shion took in a sharp breath of air as she reopened her eyes. "What did you see?" Wilhelm asked softly._

"_I…I saw myself asleep in Allen's lap…" she muttered in reply, looking downwards._

"_Ah. That will probably become a reality soon…" the man said. Quiet footfalls suddenly brought her attention to her right, where she saw the mysterious teenage boy crouched in front of two tombstones, studying them with intense green eyes._

_She turned back to Wilhelm and queried fervently, "Why is everything changing so quickly? Why can I not control my life anymore?"_

"_Shion, your life will change very drastically, very soon," Wilhelm told her frankly. "But do not be afraid…you will always be happy with the outcome…always…" Shion's heartbeat quickened again as she thought about what else could possibly happen to her._

"_Well…who is he?" Shion asked after a few seconds, pointing at Mystery Boy, who was now kneeling reverently in front of the graves. "I see him every night in my dreams, and sometimes when I'm not even asleep."_

"_He is your everything," the winged figure told her. "He is that whisper in the night that you are afraid of, yet you strain so hard to hear…"_

_Shion was about to tell him that that didn't exactly answer her question, but his body began to lift into the air, his wings carrying him away. "Master Wilhelm, don't go! You still haven't told me!" she exclaimed._

"_That's not my name," Wilhelm said after a second of hesitance. "Wilhelm is my surname. My true name is…Raphael."_

"_Raphael?"_

_Looking down at her and smirking, he said, "I figured I would visit you…seeing as how Gabriel already had his turn to do this…"_

_Shion whimpered and shielded her eyes from the harshly bright flash of light that Raphael disappeared into. She let out a defeated sigh and shifted back onto her haunches, taking a moment to regain her bearings. Slowly getting to her feet, she silently decided to approach the boy._

_She timidly walked up behind him, resting beside him. Turning her head towards him, she softly asked, "Whose…whose graves are those?"_

_The teen looked at her, his dazzling green eyes standing out amazingly against the dull gray background. For a second, emerald irises danced together before the boy said, "See for yourself."_

_Shion quirked an eyebrow as she looked at the epitaphs. She gasped as she briefly caught the names "Jin" and "Hiroko"…_

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Shion's eyes snapped open as she sat rigidly straight in her futon bed. Her hand flew to her forehead, which had broken out in a cold sweat. Taking a few slow, deep breaths, she tried to calm her rapidly pounding heart as she struggled to read the digital red number display of the clock on her nightstand.

"Ugh…2:33…" she groaned, resting her head on her sleeping partner's shoulder. Even in his warm, comforting arms, she felt cold and insecure. Whenever she closed her eyes, the only things she could see were those tombstones…

She whimpered and sat up, hugging her knees tight to her chest. The suffocating darkness of the room was frightening and chilling; so much that not even Allen's presence could reassure her. Not that it helped at all, but the usual silence of Jin's house was broken by a rattling thunderstorm roaring outside of the window.

Shion began to cry softly as a large crash of thunder sounded. Even though storms didn't bother her so much anymore, her nerves were frayed by the dream. Clenching her jaw and wiping her eyes, she swung her legs over her side of the bed and silently headed towards the kitchen.

Jin's home was always ridiculously cold when it was raining, causing Shion, clad in only a beater top and flannel pajama bottoms, hair swept up in an untidy bun, to shiver furiously. Not bothering to turn on any lights, she began to prepare a pot of green tea. Once the water finally boiled, she poured herself a cup and sat down on one of the wooden chairs, resting her head on her elbows. The traditional Japanese table was in the conjoined dining room.

The hot beverage was somewhat soothing to her as she drank it deeply. _Jin and Hiroko…_The tears started up again as Shion thought about those names. She sobbed aloud as she remembered who they belonged to.

"_Why_? Why was he looking at _their_ graves?" Shion wondered aloud before another wave of tears came over her. Those graves…those graves belonged to her parents, Jin and Hiroko Uzuki. That's right; her brother was actually Jin Uzuki Jr.

Every event in Shion's life now seemed to be moving horribly turbulently. That boy was making everything so complicated. Tears of rage poured down Shion's cheeks as she thought about how she was _different_. Now she knew how the variant U.R.T.V.s felt…she just wanted her life to be _normal_…

Meanwhile, in Shion's room down the hall, something caused Allen to stir out of his sound sleep. Not bothering to open his eyes, he sighed and shifted his positing, expecting Shion to groan something inarticulate before cuddling against him again. When he didn't feel the warmth of her slender body, his crystalline blue eyes slowly opened. Arching an eyebrow and surveying the dark room, realization hit him like a sack of bricks.

Falling back to the soft surface of the bed and sighing, he muttered, "I wonder what happened now…"

Yawning and stretching, he stood from the bed. He wore one of Jin's old pajama bottoms since he hadn't yet had the chance to collect his belongings from the East side of the city. Allen slowly and tiredly slid open the Japanese-style door and started for the kitchen.

The soft sound of footfalls behind her caused her to quickly wipe her tears away. "Shion?"

Expelling a sigh of relief, she turned to see Allen, rubbing his eyes. Her own squeezed shut as more tears spilled from the corners. "Allen…" she sobbed, resting her head on her arms.

"Whoa, Shion, what's wrong?" Allen asked while sitting down on the chair opposite her, his voice filled with extreme and genuine concern.

"I-It's nothing…it was just a dream…"

"No, no, Shion…don't say that," Allen whispered, gently stroking her slender fingers with his thumb.

"Don't worry, you didn't die in this one," she reassured him, and he cracked a small smile.

"Can you tell me what it was about?"

Their eyes met in the darkness for an instant before Shion looked downwards at the tabletop. "I…I don't want to talk about it…"

"Okay." Allen sighed quietly. "Can you tell me what's bothering you?" Shion hesitated for a moment before she spoke.

"It's just…everything is happening so quickly. I'm not in control of my life anymore," she managed to say even though it felt as if she had an orange lodged in her throat. "I feel like something unusual is happening, something that I should be aware of but I'm _not_!" she told him, emphasizing the last word by pulling her hands from his and pounding her fists against the table. She collapsed into another fit of tears, her head throbbing so hard she felt like it might explode.

Allen quickly regained his hold on her hands, grasping them more tightly this time. "Well…is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he asked softly.

"Could you…could you hold me?" Shion suggested in a small, scared voice.

"Of course," Allen replied as Shion nodded and walked around the table, settling in his lap. Allen protectively wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently, trying to calm her. "You're freezing," he muttered, holding her trembling body close to his in an attempt to warm her. A few stray tears fell from Shion's eyes as she rested her head on top of his, inhaling the sweet aroma of his tawny locks that had come from their shower earlier that day. _Yes_, I said _their_…you read it perfectly. Don't be running off to see your optometrist.

Shion moaned softly as Allen nuzzled the area behind her ear. "Listen, Shion…" he murmured, sending a chill up her spine. "I never want you to be afraid to tell me anything."

"I know…" Shion sniffed. "This is just something I have to keep to myself. This is my cross to bear. You shouldn't have to suffer with me."

"Shh…" Allen hushed her, placing a gentle, lingering kiss against the soft skin of her neck and resting his head on her shoulder. His heart was breaking at the sight of her, so afraid and depressed… "For now, try to sleep."

Shion's crying slowly subsided as Allen gently rubbed and patted her bottom, as if trying to calm a restless newborn. Shion closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, savoring the feeling of his body against hers. Her hands softly gripped onto his bare chest. Slowly, she heard her own moans growing more and more distant as she finally fell asleep.

A few moments later, once Allen was certain that she was asleep, he carefully lifted her into his arms as to not wake her. Carrying her back into the bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed. He gingerly settled beside her, pulling the blanket over the two of them. Stroking her cheek softly with the back of his hand, he studied her sleeping form. Her pink lips were slightly parted and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm…

"You're so beautiful," Allen breathed, pressing a tender kiss against her forehead. He moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her small body. Reassuringly, he whispered:

"Shion…I know you're asleep, but I just want you to know that I'll always protect you. I know that a lot of tragic things have happened to you, but I promise to do my best to make sure that you're always safe and happy. Because I love you…so much…I promise…"

And with one last kiss, Allen allowed the sweet hold of the night to take him.

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The next morning, Shion awoke to the feeling of slight pressure on her upturned cheek. She moaned as her eyes opened, the light causing her to squint. When the dull throb in her head subsided, she was greeted by the image of Allen lying next to her, stroking her cheek. He was fully-clothed and cleanly shaven, a small smile on his face. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Better," she groaned as she flexed her back. "Although my head still hurts…what time is it?"

"About 7:30," Allen replied. "Would you like an aspirin or something?"

"Mmm…please," she sighed, rolling onto her back. Allen nodded and exited the room, heading towards the bathroom where Jin kept the pills. Shion let out a quiet moan as she tried to sit up, but then fell back to the bed. Allen returned shortly with the medicine and a glass of water, which she downed quickly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Allen asked concernedly, narrowing his eyes and feeling her forehead with his hand. "You look really pale…"

"I'm fine," Shion replied. "Just…tired, that's all."

"If you're sure," Allen said, kissing her gently. "Go back to sleep for a while. Don't forget, we're going to watch the fireworks tonight."

"That's right," Shion remembered. That night the city was having a fireworks display on account of…well, not being _destroyed_. Most of their group was going to come from the Durandal or Kukai Foundation to meet them and watch it together.

"Okay. I'll wake you up a bit later, alright?"

"Sounds good." Shion let out a loud yawn before pulling the warm blanket up to her chin again. Allen sat on the bed and rubbed her back for a few moments to make sure that she was deep in slumber. He stood up and walked into the hallway, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark blur speeding towards him…

_THUD!_

Allen yelped in surprise and pain as he felt the six foot tall samurai smash into him. "Oh, sorry Allen, didn't see you there," he said, untangling his limbs from the Vector engineer's.

"Where were you headed in such a hurry?" Allen asked him.

"I was on my way to see if Shion's alright," he replied matter-of-factly. The other man shook his head.

"I wouldn't interfere if I were you," Allen warned him. "She's going through something right now…she won't even talk to me about it."

"But…I'm her brother."

"I know," the tawny-haired man told him. "Don't worry…she'll open up to you eventually. Trust me. You just have to wait until she's ready."

Jin watched in respect as the man who could make his sister so happy walked out of the hallway. Still, jealousy bit at his heart and soul…he only wanted to be close to his little sister.

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_Beep beepbeep!_

_Beep beepbeep!_

_Beep beepbeep!_

"Rggh!" Jr. grunted, jerking violently and tossing his blanket off. He pounded his chirping alarm clock with his fist, reading the digital display. When it finally registered in his tired mind that it was 7:45 AM, he gave that trademark cocky grin.

"Alright! Perfect timing!" he whispered enthusiastically, not wanting to disturb Albedo. The white-haired U.R.T.V. was asleep on the couch on the opposite side of the room in Gaignun and Jr.'s private chambers.

Stretching and yawning, he stood and trudged into the bathroom. He slipped off his sleeping bottoms and boxers, and took a moment to study himself in the mirror. He flexed his arms, delighted when he saw the lean muscle. He was fit to the same extent as Allen and Tony, with a tone and smooth chest. He gave a satisfied smile when he touched the small silver rings handed from his nipples.

Oh, yes. I went there.

Jr. turned on the shower and stepped inside of the stall, wincing slightly as the water hit his new piercings. He whistled a happy tune as he squirted some shampoo into his hand. He ran his hands through his hair, scrubbing his scalp and his blood red locks clean. AS he rinsed his hair, some suds ran into his translucent blue eyes, and a string of profanities poured from his mouth. Once his _eye-opening_ (oh, I'm terrible…) experience was over, he grabbed the slippery bar of soap. Making his washcloth nice and foamy, he rubbed it all over his body.

Suddenly, he was inspired to sing.

"_I wear my suuuuunglasses at night…I wear my sunglasses at night so I can, so I can keep track of the visions in my eyes_!" he sang. His raspy voice actually didn't sound too bad!

Jr. picked up the shampoo bottle and sang into it like a microphone. "_While she's deceiving me…it cuts my security! Has she got control of me? I turn to her and say:_"

He began to do some fancy footwork, only to stop a few seconds later when he almost slipped. It would have been hella embarrassing if someone would have caught him slipping on camera. But then again, who would be recording him in the shower? No, _no_, Jr. fangirls, that was meant to be a _rhetorical_ question.

"_Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades, oh no…don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh no…_" he sang loudly, pouring his heart into the lyrics. "_I can't believe it! 'Cause you got it made with the guy in sha-_"

"Jr.! Keep your day job!" Albedo hollered from the other side of the bathroom door. Jr. abruptly stopped singing.

"Oi! What are you doing up so early!" Jr. asked Albedo in a yell, trying to make his voice louder than the running water.

"I need to take a shower! Gaignun is already in his!" the man replied. Jr. almost strained his ears trying to hear him.

"What'd you say!"

"Turn off the water so you can hear!" Albedo instructed.

"What!"

"Turn off the damn water!"

"Hang on, let me turn off this water so I can hear," Jr. said, turning the knobs. Silence filled the room as his voice echoed, "I'll be out in a sec!"

About ten seconds later, Jr. exited the bathroom with a blue towel wrapped around his waist. Albedo tapped his foot impatiently. "When are you supposed to meet Momo?" he asked, glancing at the clock which now read 7:53.

"Eight o'clock," Jr. replied in a chipper voice. "Wait, you know what I just realized? Why were we shouting at each other when we could have spoken through our mental link?" Albedo shrugged. Jr. dropped the towel (Albedo quickly turned away) and pulled on a pair of briefs. He rubbed his hair with the towel vigorously, drying it. Albedo suddenly snorted with laughter as he saw Jr.'s new rings.

"Christ!" The younger pulled at one of the rings, causing Jr. to screech in pain.

"Ow!" Jr. cried, clenching his jaw. "Watch it, man! That hurt!"

"I couldn't resist," Albedo chuckled. Jr. grunted and picked up a comb, rearing back to strike Albedo with it. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he instead ran it through his locks, combing his longer bangs over his left eye. "Hey, Jr., don't you think that the people of the Kukai Foundation will notice your change?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh. No way. They're all idiots anyways," Jr. replied. "They'll just think that I had a growth spurt or something."

Jr. grabbed his black jeans and put them on over the tightie whities (LOL HAHA), but lost his balance and fell flat on his face. Albedo began laughing hysterically as Jr. struggled to stand. Finally the redhead got to her feet and buckled his belt. "You know, it frightens me that we come from the same gene pool," Albedo said jokingly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," Jr. said, trying to forget that he had just made an implant of his face in the thick, luxurious carpet. He grabbed his blue and white sweater and put it on, saying, "Ah…the best time to wear a striped sweater is all the time."

"One with a collar?" Albedo asked as Jr. put on his socks and boots.

"Turtleneck. That's the kind," Jr. grinned and pointed at the fabric covering his neck. Putting his arms through his leather vest and his Makarovs in their holsters, he continued. "Because when you're wearing that one special sweater-" His eyes trailed off to the clock. Its red numbers glared the time 8:01 back at him menacingly. "Oh, shizzle, I'm late!" he yelled, dashing to his bedside table, snatching his earring, and frantically putting it on.

Albedo pressed the button to open the door for Jr. "Thanks, man!" Jr. exclaimed before sprinting…into the wall just to the left of the door.

Jr. lay dazed on the floor, staring up at the white ceiling. Albedo laughed uncontrollably, gripping at his sides and rolling around on the floor next to him. "Ah, man, I think my skull just caved in primarily around the foreheadular region…" Jr. groaned. "Am I bleeding?"

"Nope!" Albedo answered, hopping to his feet and helping his older brother up.

"Oh man, I almost forgot!" Jr. dashed over to his nightstand and pulled a small can of Axe Essence out of the top drawer. "Just givin' it a try," he said, spraying himself. He grinned and sprayed a quick spurt right in Albedo's face. He coughed violently, purple eyes watering.

"All right! Gotta go!" Jr. jogged out of the bedroom door, then out of the main door to the hallway. "Sayonara, baby!" he called over his shoulder to Albedo. A genuine smile spread across Albedo's face as the door closed with a swish behind the redhead.

"I think I'm going to like it here."

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**A/n: Wowsorrz! That was a long one! I'm sorry it took so long…I was so busy with school, and then I got sick. I actually had more written on this chapter, but I decided to split it in half. **

**Hmmm...so Wilhelm's real name is Raphael, eh? Interesting...**

**Only two chapters and an epilogue left!**


	17. The Power of Love

**Woot, now to start chapter 17! This chapter is hella mushy, on almost every pairing that will be in this series. This was also inspired completely by the song "Zion" by Fluke. And you all know what happens to this song in The Matrix Reloaded…hehe!**

**Neo: I sure do.**

**Do what I paid you to. Well, do the SECOND thing I paid you to do. –Sweatdrop-**

**Neo: -Sigh- KOS-MOS rox does not own anything mentioned in this chapter. But I patented the firearm-under-the-trenchcoat look. –Whips open his coat to reveal a whole ton of automatic weapons-**

**Hey, Neo! Why don't you whip open your fly and show all of them the _real_ automatic weapon? –Twisted grin-**

**Neo: …I can't work with this. I'll be in my trailer. –Walks off-**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 17: The Power of Love **

Jr. strolled through the hallways of the Kukai Foundation Administrative Building, where he and Gaignun lived, humming a merry tune. He grinned and nodded towards a few people he passed. "Was that the Little Master?" one older woman asked a middle-aged man beside her.

"I think it was," he replied.

"Oh my, he certainly did shoot up!" the elderly woman chortled. "Such a handsome young man! We should start calling him 'Master Jr.' now!"

Jr. snickered at them as he quickened his pace to a brisk jog, hauling ass towards the residential room that they had let Momo stay in. The building was huge…Jr. only hoped that he wouldn't get lost as he did so many, many times before.

He finally reached room 214 a few lengths later. Jr. checked his breath and fixed her hair before pressing the button on the intercom beside the door. Inside of the room, Momo quickly put down the magazine she had been reading and walked to the door. "Who is it?" she asked into the intercom.

"Ron Burgundy! No, seriously, who do you think?" he replied in jest. Momo smiled and rolled her eyes, then opened the door. Jr.'s jaw almost dropped when he saw how she looked.

She stood before him with straight posture, chin raised ever so slightly – not arrogant, but strong. She had obviously gotten a haircut, for her soft pink hair was angled, framing her face. She wore the popular "anchorwoman" hairstyle: lushly feathered and curled outwards at the ends. A few wispy bangs, much like Shion's, fell to her eyeliner-traced orbs. Her clothes were simple, yet brilliant, wearing a short jacket and blue shirt with black pants. She looked just perfect enough to make her the sexiest living thing that Jr. had ever seen, not counting trees of course.

"Uh, Jr., you're drooling…" she said with a nervous laugh. Jr. gasped and wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, blushing so profusely that it made his hair look like a dull copper.

"Y-You look great," he stammered, gulping. Now he knew why Allen always acted like such a dork earlier. He silently apologized to the Vector employee.

"We're going to the Durandal to see Ziggy and Juli, right?" Momo asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Y-yeah, that's what I was planning on," Jr. replied. "Then the two of us are heading to Second Miltia to watch those fireworks with most of the crew."

"Ah, cool," Momo said. Suddenly, she noticed the amazing aroma of Axe Essence wafting from Jr. "You smell good," she whispered, moving closer to him and deeply inhaling the scent.

"Thanks, I try," Jr. grinned. "I should listen to Shion more often..." he said. "Wait, no I shouldn't, she would constantly be telling me how adorable Allen is." Both laughed at Jr.'s little joke. The redhead's heart fluttered when he saw Momo's perfect smile.

"Jr.? Jr., can you hear me?" The woman waved her hand in front of the U.R.T.V.'s face, giggling as he snapped back to reality with a snort. "You know, we'd better get going."

"Yeah, we should," Jr. agreed. "Race you to the Dock!" he exclaimed, taking off towards the large front door.

"Jr.! Wait!" Momo gasped before running off behind him.

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Jr. leaped onto one of the shuttles, almost taking out a middle-aged woman in the process. "Whoops! My bad, ma'am!" he apologized, putting on his best innocent smile. He closed his eyes and scratched at his scarlet locks nervously.

"Oh, it's quite alright, Little Master," the random NPC replied. "My goodness, you've grown so much!" she blurted as she noticed his new appearance.

"Ah, well, you know…" Jr. blushed. "Eat your vegetables."

The woman smiled and waved at Jr. before taking her seat towards the front of the shuttle. Suddenly, Jr. lurched forwards as something ran into him from behind. He quickly turned to see Momo standing behind him, red-faced, huffing and puffing, brow knit.

"Jr.!" she said angrily, pushing him backwards onto a seat and sitting next to him. "Don't you _ever_ take off with out me like that again!"

"Sorry," he said in a sappy voice, placing both hands on her shoulders. His eyes widened as he remembered a carefree day in Sakura's subconscious fourteen years ago…

"_Come on, guys! She'll never find us here!" Rubedo exclaimed excitedly, diving behind a tree. Albedo ran up the dirt path and fell to the ground beside him, laughing happily._

"_Are you guys sire we should be doing this?" Nigredo asked in his cool voice as he jogged into their small hiding spot. "It isn't exactly courteous."_

"_Dah, shut your pie-hole," Albedo hushed him. They all waited with bated breath for Sakura to find them._

"_Rubedo!"_

_All three boys jumped at the shrill sound of her angry voice. The eldest gulped and scrambled to his feet as the other two timidly drew circles in the dirt with the toes of their boots. "Don't you three ever run off without me again!" she fumed, her face the color of a tomato._

"_Look, I'm sorry," the redhead said sincerely, scratching his ear. "We were just fooling around."_

"_Aw, it's okay," Sakura replied. Albedo and Nigredo snickered quietly from their sitting positions._

"Jr.? Are you okay?" Momo asked, breaking him from his reverie once again. "You're spacing out a lot today."

"Eh, it's nothing," Jr. replied quickly. "Just remembering something."

The shuttle took off with a lurch, and unfortunately, Jr. wasn't ready. His head bashed against the hard wall. "Ow!" he hissed. "Damn, my noggin's been taking a lot of abuse today…"

"Is your head okay?" Momo asked concernedly, running her hands through his hair to make sure he wasn't bleeding, for the color would hide the blood.

"I'm fine." Jr. almost groaned as Momo stroked his hair. That felt damn good…

"Nice rack."

Jr. grunted and glared across the way, seeing two teenagers staring at Momo. '_Damn bastards!'_ he screamed mentally as they continued to burn a hole in her clothes with their eyes. Jr. decided to take it upon himself and wrap both arms around Momo, nuzzling and kissing her neck.

"Uhhnn…Jr.," she half-moaned. "What the hell?"

"Protecting you," he murmured into her ear.

"Damn, she's taken," the second punk said.

"But ain't that the Little Master? Isn't he, like, twelve?" the other interjected, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah. Goddamn little pimp."

"But dude, he got tall."

Jr. released Momo and drummed on his knees. "This is awkward…" he sang in a high-pitched voice.

"Uhh…" the woman stuttered, trying desperately to think of something to change the subject. "Do you think they'll be surprised?"

"Hells yeah," Jr. replied, stretching his arms. "I'll bet that Zig'll have a heart attack and tell me to never touch you or he'll murder me in my sleep."

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"There, that should do it," a feminine voice panted, exhausted from physical exertion.

"Thank you. That's…the best work my body has had in years," a deep male voice followed.

"Not a problem. Consider it…a gift. For all the help you've given me," the woman said.

Ziggy sighed as he sat in his maintenance chair. Juli wiped some sweat from her brow as she put the finishing touches on his new left arm. You were probably thinking _exactly_ what I wanted you to, though. Mwahahaha!

"They're late…" Ziggy muttered, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Don't worry," Juli said reassuringly, pulling up a chair beside him. "Besides, I'm a bit…relieved that we're able to have this time together. There's something I've wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" the cyborg asked, turning his head to face her. Her deep green eyes were tantalizing, and as he looked into them, the same feeling he had felt inside of the Omega System swelled up inside of him.

"A few days ago, you told me to pretend that I had two daughters," she said, searching his blue eyes with hers. "That was beautiful advice. A pessimist like me would love to learn how to think like that."

"That isn't all," said Ziggy, sensing an ulterior motive in her speech. Juli let out a soft laugh.

"I guess you could see right through the mask," she smiled. "What I'd really like to bring up again is…the matter of life extension on your organic parts."

"Yes, go on."

"Well…I'd really like you to consider it," she implored. "Not just for Momo, but for me as well. Jan Sauer, I can learn so much from you. I want to learn…everything…"

Juli's eyelids grew heavy and her lips parted slightly as she moved closer to Ziggy. He felt his heart rate increase and heat rise to his face as his eyes fell closed as well. Soon, they were close enough that Ziggy could feel Juli's warm, moist breath on his lips. Just when he thought he felt her lips brush past his…

_Swoosh, THUD!_

"Owww! I forgot how faulty the doors on the Durandal are!"

The two of them quickly moved apart, blushing redder than an apple, if that was even possible for Ziggy. Jr. picked himself up from the ground and sauntered over to them, grinning wildly. Once Ziggy regained his bearings, he scolded Jr., "Eaves-"

"Dropping. Yeah, yeah, I know." Jr. grinned even wider. "Aw, come on! Don't tell me you didn't notice the new me!"

"Oh my, Jr.!" Juli moved over to him and studied his new body. "How?"

"Well…it's a long story. Basically, Albedo gave me his powers and it stimulated my cell growth," the redhead tried his best to explain. "We actually brought him back! He's at the Kukai Foundation and completely sane!"

"That's good to hear," Ziggy nodded. Juli narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow in thought.

"Where's Momo?" she inquired.

"Well…" Jr. sighed, arms akimbo, looking at the floor. "I think that Dr. Mizrahi here is going to scream and the old man is gonna blow a fuse, but…hey Momo, come on in!"

Momo stepped through the door, wearing a soft smile. Juli gasped loudly, bringing a hand to her mouth as Ziggy's jaw dropped. "Well? How do I look?" she asked with a smirk.

"Momo, you look amazing!" Juli yelled excitedly, embracing her.

"Yeah, everyone wants to hug me now," Momo murmured slyly.

"You look beautiful, Momo," Ziggy said with fatherly pride. Momo smiled and hugged him.

"So…I suppose that it was the Y-DATA that caused this sudden change?" Juli offered.

"Yeah. When I brought Albedo back, he released the data and _BAM_! Instant bombshell," Jr. said. Then he tilted his head to the side and blinked curiously. "Wow…I'm actually _smart_ in the chapter! Wait, no I'm not, I said 'foreheadular' earlier."

"What?" Ziggy and Juli gave him a bewildered look.

"Never mind. You had to be there."

"I'm sorry our visit had to be so short, but we've gotta fly," said Momo apologetically. "Jr. and I have a few errands to run before we go and watch the fireworks on Second Miltia."

"I hope you have fun," Juli giggled. Ziggy grumbled something unintelligible before beckoning Jr. over to his chair.

"If you do anything to her," he threatened in a deep whisper, "I will break you."

Jr.'s eyes widened. "Say that again. Please!"

"I will break you," Ziggy repeated, quirking an eyebrow.

"Dude! You sound almost like that guy from Rocky 4!" Jr. screeched. "Freakin' awesome!"

Jr. and Momo ran out of the room, the man laughing hysterically. Ziggy glanced at Juli, who was smiling heartily. "Kids…" she laughed.

"Mmm hmm."

"I'd better be on my way as well," she said in a sad tone. "Goodbye, Jan."

Ziggy was about to say his goodbye, but instead, Juli leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. His mouth froze in mid-word. Juli blushed and smiled as she exited the room, leaving him behind. He brought a hand to her cheek, touching the place where she had kissed him. He felt dizzy and disoriented, yet incredibly satisfied.

_What is this?_

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Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered about everything? I mean, seriously trek out into the deep woods and stare at the sky. It's truly amazing. The stars can just wrap you up and make you forget everything except for that moment, wondering about their mystery. Just make sure you don't get lost on your way out of the woods. That would really, really suck. Like, a whole lot.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" chaos asked softly as he studied the vast sky. The android to his right made no movement.

"In order to better facilitate relationships with humans, I have been outfitted with knowledge of what they think is beautiful," KOS-MOS said blankly. "It is indeed."

chaos laughed and propped himself up on his elbow, turning to look at her. They were on a secluded hillside on the outskirts of the city to watch the celebration. KOS-MOS had picked this spot strategically so that they could get the best view possible. Despite the lights from the city, the sky was extraordinarily clear. "When you look up there…do you ever get the feeling that you're just a speck in this huge universe?"

"I do not understand irrational human thought," was her reply.

"Didn't see that one coming." chaos lay back down, resting his hands behind his head.

"Hey, KOS-MOS?"

"Yes?"

"Can you feel…love?" the seraphim teen asked, not bothering to move his eyes from the sky.

"Love is a human emotion," KOS-MOS told him.

"No, love is a word," he mused. "What matters is the connection that the word implies."

"Again, I do not understand irrational human thought."

chaos reached over to her and cupped her cheek with a gloved hand, gazing into her scarlet eyes. "Someday, you will. I promise."

A few moments of silence followed as chaos continues searching the sky. Sometime in the very near future, everything was going to change, and he couldn't wait. Nothing would ever be the same in their lives. And the two people who would be affected the most by this change just happened to be sitting about six meters behind him and the android.

"KOS-MOS, could you please do a scan of Shion and Allen and see what they're up to?" he requested. "I would look myself, but I wouldn't want to catch them in a bad…well, I guess in their case it would be a good moment," he laughed.

"Affirmative," KOS-MOS stated formally. "My sensors are picking up no movement. It is logical to assume that Shion is still asleep."

Just as the teen a few meters in front of him, Allen sighed deeply and gazed up at the beautiful night sky. He knew it seemed corny, but one of those stars up there must be his lucky one. He had everything he could ever want: a great life, a high-paying job, and the woman who was mad over by his side…

The lovers were lying huddled together on a blanket. Shion was snuggled against Allen's side, head resting on his shoulder, leg thrown over his. Her breaths were slow and steady, and she made small noises like an infant every so often. Allen slowly turned his head to the side to look at her. Her chest rose and fell in a steady, soothing pattern, and Allen could feel her heartbeat pressed against him. Asleep, she was the image of perfection…and awake, she was the single most stunning thing in his life.

Allen felt Shion stir against him briefly before she relaxed again. He was just glad that she could have some time to sleep now before everyone else arrived, since she got barely any the previous night. Her slender body felt warm and sweet in his arms. He relaxed on the blanket, and just as he was about to succumb to sleep as well…

"Mmm…how long have I been out?"

Allen's eyes snapped open as he turned once again to see Shion's green eyes open lazily. "About twenty minutes," Allen replied. "Don't worry…the others aren't due to get here for a little while."

"Good." Shion closed her eyes halfway, the green color glittering. Her mouth was open, lips moist, just begging to be kissed. Allen smiled warmly before happily complying. Shion was breathless, waiting as Allen shifted onto his side and drew her in closer, so that their chests were pressed together. He brushed his lips down her cheek towards her lips before pressing his own against them. After a second, he drew them back ever so slightly before claiming them in a stronger, lingering kiss. Shion almost laughed at the thought running through her mind at that moment:

_He is a way better kisser than Kevin ever was!_

Kevin was always too much of a forceful kisser for her. He basically attacked her lips, much unlike Allen. He was much gentler and more tender. Of course, she wasn't going to lie, there were clumsy moments...but overall, it was a better experience for her.

Their legs entwined and arms wrapped around the other's body as Shion began exploring the inside of Allen's mouth with her tongue. He groaned quietly before kissing her back just as hard and fervently. After a few moments of this fiery kiss, Allen broke away and reached just under the hemline of her shirt, stroking her soft skin. Shion moaned as flashes of heat rippled through her body. She arched her back to remove her dark jacket, sighing in relief as the crisp early September air cooled the exposed skin. The man moved over her, nuzzling and nibbling her ear. She let out a loving sigh. The thought of almost losing him still ached in her mind…she tried to make every moment last a lifetime.

Suddenly, a distant rumble of thunder sounded, bringing Allen back to his senses. Shion's body tensed immediately. Out of the corner of his eye, Allen caught sight of the sky. The clear stars were being hidden by storm clouds, and it had been threatening rain all day. "Shh…it's alright, it's only thunder," he whispered into her ear, rubbing her legs in an attempt to calm her.

"Mmm…I know. It only surprised me. Besides, after a few nights ago, I think I'm beginning to like the rain," she moaned sensuously, the corners of her mouth turning up into a sly smirk. Allen laughed nervously, becoming noticeably more flustered. Shion giggled before their lips melted together once more.

Shion couldn't believe that she was feeling so strongly about someone. She was being touched, being held, being _loved_…after Kevin died, she never thought she would love anyone again. But here she was, kissing a man she loved so much. It was never her intention to fall in love…he sort of tripped her. (Yes, the author is feeling very mushy right now.) She was mad over him, falling more and more in love with every passing second. He was always there for her, and he always would be. She wanted and needed him. Nothing in her life had ever felt so right. To her, future used to seem bleak and frightful, but now that he was there, it seemed bright and meaningful.

Shion moaned into his mouth just as he removed his lips. They roamed her perfect jawline, and she looped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his warm reddish-brown hair. "You're already getting sweaty," she murmured into his ear. Shion pressed her lips against his fingertips, feeling quite satisfied when she felt him twitch. He took her hand in his and kissed her wrist passionately.

"Oh yeah? So are you," he panted. Shion stifled a laugh before she began playfully kissing his neck. He tilted his head backwards and groaned deep in his throat.

Allen couldn't believe that Shion Uzuki, the woman he had loved for four years, was in his arms. After what seemed like a lifetime of unrequited love, she finally opened up to him. Everything she did was amazing a beautiful; and he wanted nothing more than to make her happy. He used to think that he was useless and his future was going nowhere, but with her…anything seemed possible.

"Uhhnn…that feels so good," Shion moaned loudly as Allen's lips traveled down her neck. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, biting her lip. He pinched a sensitive spot between his teeth, causing her to throw her head back and cry out in pure and intense pleasure. He moved away from her neck, gazing deep into her green eyes. She was panting heavily; face glinting with sweat, clutching at his shoulders. "Your shirt," she moaned. Allen allowed her to remove his black shirt, and he shivered for a moment as a chilly wind blew.

"Wait, here?" he asked, trying to catch his breath. Shion grinned mischievously and nodded, massaging his bare chest and kneading his shoulders with her slender fingers. Their lips crashed together again with a newfound fervor, tongues caressing one another. Shion moaned softly as he back to suckle on her lower lip. Allen swallowed hard and clenched his jaw as they broke the kiss and Shion squeezed the inside of his thigh. "I love you," he breathed in her ear before indulging in it once more. An electric shock shot up Shion's spine as he flicked her soft earlobe with his tongue, gently pulling on her earring with his teeth.

**A/n: Do _not_ read this next paragraph if you aren't in this for the ShionxAllen, or if you're squeamish. You've been warned…**

Shion wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him hard on the mouth. No matter how hard he pressed against her, she pressed back harder. She let out a loud moan as she felt his fingertips in a particularly sensitive area of her body. He began suckling at her collarbone, working on pure adrenaline and instinct. They moved so that Allen was on his back, Shion straddling him. Allen's hands found her hips, and he held her against him, moving on pure love and instinct. A certain something pressed against Shion, causing them both to moan and shudder with pleasure. As Shion desperately held onto his shoulders, Allen involuntarily thrusted upwards. Shion almost screamed in pleasure, shuddering with desire.

"Uhnn…Allen," she moaned urgently, voice cracking, vision blurring. "I think I'm going to c-"

"Cook some burgers! Great, because I could really go for one right now. _Show me the beef_!"

At the sound of that ever-familiar cocky and raspy voice, Shion and Allen both jumped at least five feet in the air. Unfortunately for Allen, Shion jerked and her knee hit him right in the stomach. He coughed loudly, the wind knocked out of him.

"That was brilliant," Jr. snickered, eyeing the two scientists. "I wish I had my camera!" Momo giggled and nodded in agreement. The two of them were sitting behind Shion and Allen, grinning uncontrollably.

"God dammit!" Shion exclaimed, beating the ground with her fists. "You couldn't have gotten here at a _more perfect_ time, could you!"

"Hehe…you two were just _seconds_ away from the horizontal hula, weren't you?" Jr. asked, nudging Momo. "In another minute, Shion would've been saying, 'Say Allen, how about you and I go on a little encephalon dive? I'd like to test that KOS-MOS data. Will you upload your data to my hard drive? Just make sure you encrypt it... we can't have private data like that leaking out... you know? Pretty please?'" The two of them erupted into hysterical laughter again.

"Honestly, now! H-How long have you been there?" Shion stammered, blushing profusely.

"Since Allen gave you another excuse to wear a turtleneck," he shrugged, sneering mischievously and pointing at his own neck. Shion traced the side of her neck with two fingers, groaning when they ran over a small bump.

"Urgh, Jin's going to have a heart attack, and then kill me…" she muttered, sighing in exasperation.

"We figured that you would notice us here eventually," Momo explained, the laughter temporarily subsiding. "But when things started to get, uh….really desperate, we had to intervene. We're sorry!"

"Eh, it's not a big thing," Allen chimed in, finally able to breathe again.

"There's always later," Shion sighed. Suddenly, a sexy smile crawled across her face as she looked at Allen. "Besides…I know where Jin keeps the whipped cream." Allen laughed nervously again, blushing furiously. Jr. grimaced, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Ahhh, bad mental image!" he cried in fake anguish. "Quick, someone whack it out of me!" Shion growled angrily and clambered off of Allen, moving over to Jr. and smacking him upside the head. "Ow! I didn't mean that _literally_!"

Shion, still blushing, put her jacket back on and sat a bit in front of Momo. She yawned loudly, stretching. "Hm," Allen grunted, putting his shirt back on. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm having a small situation that I must walk off," he announced, getting to his feet and awkwardly walking off.

"Yeah, I'll bet that it's small," Jr. called after him nonchalantly. Shion turned to look at him, blinking.

"No, it's really not," she informed him, a wide smile breaking its way across her face. Momo giggled as Jr. rolled his eyes.

"So, what have you two been up to all day?" Shion asked Momo, tilting her head to the side.

"We had a lot of fun," Momo replied with a bright smile.

"In less than five hours, I've taught her everything there is to know about being twenty-six," Jr. beamed, putting his arm around her proudly. Shion's jaw dropped and her eyes widened, apparently taking his statement the wrong way. Noticing her expression, he stammered, "N-no, not like that! Not _everything_! She already knew about _that_!" Both he and Momo blushed furiously.

"What's going on?" Allen asked as he returned, confusedly studying their faces.

"Jr. showed her everything about being twenty-six," Shion replied in a ghastly tone. Allen turned and stared at them as well, eyes the size of saucers.

"Rrgh!" Jr. growled, thrashing violently and hitting the ground in frustration. "Pour quoi, it figures that _you two_ would take it that way!"

"Well…" Shion grinned as she finally saw her chance for revenge. "I'm sure if you _did_ show her that, it'd take a hell of a lot less than twelve hours. Probably only twelve seconds."

"Ooh, she told you," Allen laughed, sitting down next to Shion and putting an arm around her.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," the U.R.T.V. said sarcastically, folding his arms in front of his chest. His bright blue eyes trailed off to the side as his brow furrowed, deep in thought. "Unless, of course, you beat me with a dictionary. The words would technically hurt me then."

Needless to say, everyone sweatdropped.

Momo scanned the area, desperate for something, _anything_, that would change the subject. She tried so hard to not think about her and Jr. doing that, but a part of her wanted to so much. "Oh! chaos, KOS-MOS, come join us!" she gasped as she noticed the two of them.

"So the coast is clear, I'm guessing? We heard some moans and weren't quite sure what was going on," chaos chuckled, sitting with them. The android followed suit.

"Uh, guys?" Shion blushed. "This may seem like a really out-there question, but…we've been through a lot together, you know, and I was wondering…after tonight, are we still going to have the great relationships we do now?" Shion pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on Allen's shoulder. These people were the greatest she had ever known, and she never wanted to lose the connection they seemed to have. I guess that's what happens when you go to hell and back together.

"Hells yeah," Jr. replied, grinning. "You guys are the best friends I've ever had. It'd be retarded to never see each other again after tonight."

"I agree whole-heartedly," Momo nodded.

chaos gave that all-knowing smirk. "I second that."

"Good."

"You know, if we're going to stay friends, I think we should know a bit more about each other," Momo thought aloud. "I mean, we've saved the universe together, yet I barely know anything about you."

"That's true. What do you want to know?" Allen inquired.

"Birthdays first," said the pink-haired woman. "I want to be able to buy you guys stuff. The people at the lab told me I was born on April eighteenth."

"Ah, mine's coming up in about two weeks…" Allen smiled softly. "September twenty-first. I can't believe I'm going to be twenty-five…"

Immediately, Jr. broke into a huge, insane grin. "_Do you remember the twenty-first night of September?_ _Love was changing the minds of pretenders while cha_-"

"Someone, make him stop," Allen groaned. Momo put a hand on his cheek, and he stopped abruptly, blushing. Once he got his bearings back, he spoke.

"Albedo and I were born on March twenty-second, and Gaignun was born on the twenty-third," said Jr., smirking at the fact that he was actually a day older than the man that the people from the Kukai Foundation thought was his father.

"I was born on Monday, December third, 4745…at least, that's what they told me," Shion muttered as her eyes fell to the ground, the feeling of being different swelling up in her again. Allen sensed her sadness and tightened his grip on her, kissing her head.

"KOS-MOS was 'born', so to speak, on August twenty-first," said Allen. "the day the Woglinde was attacked by gnosis."

"My birthday is December seventh," chaos said. His eyes were still locked onto the stars, enthralled by the stars.

"Okay…I can remember that. Next is middle names," Momo spoke. "I don't really have one, but I remember my father calling me 'his Sakura' before I was born, so I guess that counts."

"Hehe, the variants gave each other middle names," Jr. snickered. "Albedo's is Chester, Gaignun's is Axel, and mine is Spriggs."

"...Spriggs? What?" Allen quirked an eyebrow.

"Eh. It sounded cool at the time."

"Jocelyn is mine," Shion half-said, half-yawned. "For some reason, my parents wanted to give me a name that wasn't Japanese. But then at the last second, they changed their mind for some reason. So they made my first name Japanese and my middle name…Latin, I think?"

"Jocelyn…I really like that name," Allen whispered. _I'd better remember that. It'll come in handy for later…_ he thought to himself.

"I don't have one," chaos answered quickly. His eyes trailed down from the sky to the android sitting next to him. Her eyes were so beautiful, no matter how red they were. Of course, it was much different from before…

"I have no middle name either," the android replied flatly.

Allen laughed softly, closing his eyes. "What is it?" Shion asked, smiling up at him. He was so adorable when he laughed…

"You're not going to believe me when I say this, but," he said, chuckling. "Shion, my middle name is Kevin."

"You're kidding me!" Shion gasped, turning her head sharply to look at him. He nodded somberly, and she began laughing. Allen blushed and smiled softly as he saw how beautiful she looked. "Now if that isn't the creepiest coincidence ever…"

"Oh God, it's going to start again…"

"Shut your mouth, Spriggsy," said Allen, glaring daggers at Jr. Shion giggled as she looked deep into his blue eyes. She had never noticed how beautiful they were before, like windows to his soul. She could see the resolution to all of her fruitless searches…in his eyes, she was complete.

Thunder rumbled in the distance again. Allen smiled at her before their lips pressed together in a gentle, fleeting kiss. They pulled away, and Allen ran his fingers through her brown hair, tugging at it slightly before releasing. Shion sighed deeply…that felt damn good. She gently rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

For a long time, they stared into each other's eyes, seeing everything they had ever wished for. Suddenly, Shion's began to glow. "I love you…" she whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hm?" Allen furrowed his brow, looking at her eyes that had just returned to normal. "Your eyes…I could have sworn they were…never mind."

"Aww…Jr., they make such a perfect couple," Momo whispered into Jr.'s ear. The U.R.T.V. blushed profusely as he muttered something inaudible. "What was that?" the woman asked, moving closer to him.

"Ithinkthatwewouldmakeaperfectcoupletoo," he half-whispered. Catching most of it, Momo blushed. They were so close that Jr. could feel the moisture of her breath. Slowly, their lips moved closer and closer…

"Jesus Christ Heart Attack Throat Constriction!" Jr. screamed like a girl as he felt someone grab his neck from behind, choking him. He whirled around and was met by the eyes of his twin brother, white hair spiked up wildly. "Now if I was a real assailant, you'd probably be dead right now. You need to get your guard up," Albedo scorned playfully. Jr. roared with anger and grabbed him around the ankles, knocking him over and trying to bite them.

"Whoa! He's an ankle biter!" Mary exclaimed in that oh so annoying accent, looking over the wrestling twins. "Hey folks!" she greeted the rest of them.

"Hey Mary," they replied in unison.

"Honestly, you two are going to hurt each other," Shelley sighed as she appeared by Mary. Jr. looked up and burst into hysterical laughter as he saw her, remembering the events of the day before. Shelley roughly handed the box of wine glasses she was carrying to Mary and lunged at Jr.

"Can't touch this!" Jr. whooped, easily scurrying out of her grasp. "Except Momo. She can touch this."

"Dammit, Jr.!" Shion scolded him.

"Sorry!"

Gaignun walked up last, carrying a bottle of red wine. "Do I even want to know why the two of them are on the ground like that?" he asked in a quiet, disdainful voice.

"They _are_ twins," Allen shrugged. As if they were synchronized swimmers, Jr. and Albedo popped up like popcorn, firecrackers, beef stew, or something else that pops like that, simultaneously.

"Yeah!" Jr. exclaimed, both U.R.T.V.s smiling proudly. "You know we're twins because we always finish-"

"-Each other's parfaits!" Albedo finished for him.

"…but the saying is 'We always finish each other's sentences', isn't it?" Shion asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not in our case," Albedo snickered.

"And we're also twins because we're…both trees!" they shouted, striking a random pose.

"Help us, please…" Gaignun muttered, rubbing his temples.

"They're hopeless," Momo laughed, flashing a genuine smile. Jr. froze in place (well, he was already frozen, so I guess that's not really worth saying) and stared at her. That was _Sakura's_ smile. He silently sat back down next to her, still staring. "What is it?" she asked nervously.

"That smile…you looked exactly like Sakura," he replied.

"Oh…" Momo's eyes fell as well as her heart. _He's still in love with Sakura…_She sighed in disappointment. Jr.'s eyes widened at her reaction.

"No no no no no," Jr. stammered. "I mean, it's good that you're reminding me of her. It shows me I don't really need her anymore."

"You really mean that?" The woman raised her eyes to meet his blue ones. Jr. couldn't help but blush…she was so beautiful…

"Yeah, I do," he whispered. Slowly, their eyes fell shut as they moved closer, embracing one another. Their lips pressed together slowly, lingering there for a second. It felt so pure, so perfect…

Shion and Allen both cheered, preparing to mock Jr. as he had mocked them. Albedo, Shelley, and Mary hugged each other and skipped merrily around in a circle, squeeing. That'd be quite a sight. chaos and Gaignun both gave a contented smirk and KOS-MOS…well, I don't think I need to describe what her expression was like.

When they finally broke the kiss, Jr. and Momo blushed and grinned uncontrollably. "I really enjoyed that," Jr. admitted sheepishly.

"So did I," she giggled. Albedo sniggered viciously, looking over at Mary and Shelley.

"We've got Shion and Allen, and now Jr. and Momo…wanna have a go?" he asked jokingly, puckering his lips and making kissy noises. Shelley blushed furiously and buried her face in her hands. Mary laughed in that accent. I _hate_ that accent!

"Okay…well now that that's over, and the fireworks are about to start, we've got some _wine_," Gaignun said, putting emphasis on the last word. Allen's ears perked up and he stood.

"I'll go help Gaignun," he said nonchalantly, cracking his back. He walked over to where the head of the Kukai Foundation was getting the glasses, each of the bases a different color, organized. "It's red, right?" he asked in a whisper, quickly pulling a small object from his pocket.

"The finest Cabernet," he replied, grinning. Gaignun poured all of the glasses, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Mary and Albedo half-flirting. Mary blushed and giggled as he smirked sexily. She reached up and ran her fingers though his spiky pallid hair.

"Now…I'm putting it in the blue one. Make sure you give that one to Shion," Allen explained to Gaignun. He didn't hear, though…he was too distracted by his younger brother stealing his women. Allen dropped the small object into the glass with the navy-colored base before going back over to Shion, gulping.

That was when Gaignun panicked.

_Which one did he put it in? Oh God, if I mess this up I'll be dead! _Gaignun screamed mentally. _Oh! He was talking about her eyes when we went out…so he probably put it in the green one!_

_Who put what it the green what?_ Both Albedo and Jr.'s voices ran inside of his head simultaneously.

_Shut up, both of you, or I'll snap your necks._

_Ooh, scary scary!_

_Man, you've gotta go to some of those anger management classes._

Gaignun took a deep breath and began handing out the wine glasses. "Okay, now…don't gulp these, sip them. You don't want to ruin the flavor, choke, or…swallow any small objects," he said quickly.

"What was that last thing?" Shion asked as her and Allen stood up, awaiting their drinks.

"Uh…choke." He started by giving Allen an orange glass, Shelley the purple-colored glass (Albedo growled, for it was his favorite color) and Albedo the red glass. "Master Gaignun, could I have one?" Mary asked sweetly.

"No, Mary, you're not old enough yet," Gaignun replied.

"Aw, come on, it's just one glass of wine!" Mary begged. "And trust me…I'll make it up to you later," she said sexily, wiggling her eyebrows at Gaignun. The chairman of the Kukai Foundation suddenly became quite flustered.

"Fine, have one," he stammered, handing her the yellow one. He walked past chaos and KOS-MOS, saying, "You're too young. Don't you even _think_ about bribing me."

"I cannot consume alcoholic beverages," the android said in the usual stoical tone. Gaignun did an about-face and stared at her.

"He wasn't talking to you, metalpants!" Jr. hollered, waiting impatiently for his glass.

"Would you like one?" the youngest U.R.T.V. asked Momo. "I mean, you're twenty-six, right?"

"Sure," she happily agreed, taking it from him. Gaignun smirked and slyly slipped the emerald-colored one to Shion. Last, he gave the blue one the Jr., which the firebrand greedily took. "_Mine_."

Oh, _hell_ no.

Just then, the fireworks began. "It's kind of hard to believe that they're still putting the show on," Momo said, indulging in the Cabernet. "You heard that thunder, right?"

"I guess they're feeling pretty invincible right now," shrugged Shion. She brought the wine glass to her lips, but stopped before she could drink any. Something was telling her that she shouldn't drink it, begging her not to…shaking the feeling off, she took a sip. The acrid taste of alcohol caused her to grimace, seeing as she hadn't had any for a long time. But the more she drank, the better it tasted.

"You know," said Jr., swirling the wine in the glass. "I've been thinking of moving into an apartment. It's getting really crowded with both Albedo and Gaignun there. Besides, Albedo, you snore."

"I do not!" Albedo argued, flaring his nostrils.

"Pssh! If I had a recording of you last night…"

"Actually, I've wanted to get a place of my own as well," chaos chimed in.

"Awesome!" Jr. exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "We can be roomies! Now the only problem is…where?"

"chaos, think about what you're getting yourself into," Mary chuckled.

"Allen, your apartment is in the north side of the city, right?" Shion asked the man whose fingers were laced with hers. He nodded in reply, sipping the wine. "Well…you can sell them your apartment, and you can live with me at Jin's house."

Everyone who had wine in their mouths at that second, needless to say, didn't anymore.

"Wh-what!" Allen gasped, choking. He coughed violently, caught completely off-guard.

"You heard me," Shion smirked.

"But, whoa, don't you have to be at least _engaged_ to move in together?" Shelley asked in a sarcastic tone. Allen gulped again.

"I feel bad for Jin…he'll get no sleep," Jr. laughed before taking a swig of wine. His eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Oh my God, this stuff is better than Superbowl XL! Speaking of that, I've noticed…I bear striking resemblance to Chris Gardocki and Albedo looks just like Jeff Reed. Let's compare kicking legs!"

"Can we not and say we did?" Albedo asked him flatly.

Once the fireworks were almost done, and the wine glasses were almost empty, Shion looked over at Allen and noticed that he was pale, nervous, and sweaty. "Are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he replied quickly. "Albedo, take this," he said, handing his wine glass to Albedo.

"Oh my…I have a feeling that this is going to be painfully retarded," Albedo muttered. Allen knelt down, idly fooling around with his shoe.

"Shion…do you remember my last words to you on Proto Omega?" he asked softly, looking up at her.

"Yes," she nodded. "You said that you were sorry."

"I wish I hadn't…that was my last thought. I wished I had one more chance to say what really mattered, to say how much I loved you, how grateful I was for every moment I was with you. But by the time I knew what I wanted to say, it was too late," he mused, looking deep into her eyes. "But somehow, I came back. I got my wish. One more chance to say what I really wanted to say…"

_What is he doing?_ Shion wondered, eyes widening.

"Shion, I would die for you…hell, I _did_ die for you. Last night, after you fell asleep, I made a promise to you. I told you that I would always protect you and make sure that you were safe and happy," he continued. "In a world where everything's meant to be broken, I want you to know that one thing will always be constant: the fact that I love you. I guess what I'm really trying to say is…" Allen paused and peered up at her. "How's the wine?"

Shion flashed him a confused look before saying, "It's really good." She tilted her head back, draining the last bit. Allen panicked, summoning Gaignun.

"She swallowed it!" he whispered harshly. But just as he noticed the lime tint of the glass, he heard…

"Ah! Dude, _what _is in my wine!" a slightly tipsy Jr. slurred, pulling something out of his mouth. Studying it, he gasped, "It's a ring!" He noticed Allen kneeling there, and exclaimed, "Allen, are you proposing to _me_! Is that why this _ring_ is _my wine_!"

"…not you, dumbass," Allen muttered, taking it from him. "Ugh, this was in his mouth…who knows what else has been there…"

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Momo said incredulously, staring at it.

"Shion Jocelyn Uzuki," Allen began. Shion gasped as he took her left hand in his, and he rose to one knee.

"Holy shit, he's middle-naming her," Shelley and Mary babbled simultaneously, not able to believe what was happening. Gaignun smirked contentedly as Jr.'s jaw hit the ground.

"Will you marry me?"

Instantly, a million different things ran through Shion's mind: Kevin proposing to her, a wedding, babies, making babies…okay, so maybe not. Humor the author here. But one thought stuck with her …her relationship with Allen was different than with Kevin. She only seemed to love Kevin because she needed him. She loved Allen because she really, truly loved him. Even though his proposal was sudden, she would do anything for him, and he would do anything for her. With him, she would always be safe and happy. If she was with him forever, she would never be afraid again.

The whole group waited with bated breath for Shion's response. "Uh-oh, someone get ready to perform CPR…I think Shion's going to faint," Momo whispered.

"Uhhh…_I feel a bad moon risin'_-" Jr. began to sang, but he was quickly cut off by Gaignun.

"Jr., you're killing the whole aura we've got going here!" Gaignun whispered loudly. "Besides, that's not CPR, that's CCR!" Mary hushed the two of them angrily.

"Allen Kevin Ridgeley," Shion sniffed, smiling through the tears that slowly came running down her cheeks. "Of course I'll marry you!"

Allen let out a loud sigh of relief and slipped the ring onto her finger before he stood. Shion threw her arms around him, kissing him harder than she ever had before. They ended the kiss, and Shion pulled away, laughing and crying. Momo whooped loudly and high-fived the slightly tipsy Jr., who was grinning maniacally. Albedo ran over to the crest of the hill, screamed, "_She said yes!_", and began rolling around in the grass.

"He's still getting used to society," Gaignun whispered to Mary. She raised an eyebrow at the white-haired U.R.T.V.

"I can't take this anymore," Shelley said softly, completely dumbstruck. chaos smiled genuinely at the two lovers, thinking of their pasts, present, and future. KOS-MOS…well, again, her face is always the same.

"Can we see the ring?" asked Momo enthusiastically. Shion nodded, a huge smile on her face, and held out her left hand for everyone to see.

"Holy rock, Batman!" Jr. exclaimed, studying it. "How many frigging karats is that?"

"Two and a half karat square-cut platinum gold diamond," Allen and Gaignun replied in unison. Everyone stared at Gaignun, confused as to how he knew.

"I kinda helped him pick it out," the black-haired man said, laughing nervously. The rest of them shrugged and sat down, happy for their betrothed comrades. Shion and Allen settled down on their blanket again, looking up at the sky. Allen smiled softly at Shion and kissed her, filling her with life and love.

"God, Allen," she gasped as he let her go. "How do you do it?"

Allen smirked at her, stroking her cheek. "Shion, it's just the power of love."

And at that moment, it began to rain.

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**Check it out, the longest chapter yet is done! I was gonna split this one, but I couldn't find a proper place to chop it. Well, there's only one chapter and an epilogue left…I'll be depressed when this story is over. But, there's still the sequel to look forward to. Its title will be: **

**Xenosaga Episode III: Lager Unsere Kreuze**

**That's translated as Xenosaga Episode III: Bearing Our Crosses. At least, I hope it is…damn you, Babelfish.**

**I hope I didn't kill the story with the proposal.**


	18. End Credits: Celine Dion style!

**I'm back! This chapter may be painfully short, I'm sorry. I figured that since I changed the entire storyline, it seems that Sweet Song just doesn't fit for the credits. So, I re-wrote them my way. Celine Dion-style!**

**Neo: Oh, hell no.**

**Also included in this chapter is the gigantic thank you note to everyone who reviewed. I love all of you, and I never could have done this without you.**

_Italics like this_ **– Song lyrics**

'_Italics like this'­_ **– Inner thoughts**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Chapter 18: End Credits (Celine Dion-style!)**

_The whispers in the morning_

_Of lovers sleeping tight_

_Are rolling by like thunder now_

_As I look in your eyes_

The bridge of the Durandal was bustling with activity, as it usually was. Shelley sat at her terminal, sighing as she watched the text scroll by on her monitor. "Back to the old grind, eh?" Mary chuckled, reading over her shoulder and causing the other woman to jump.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do that," the older woman grumbled.

"Well, it won't be so bad," Mary said in an optimistic tone. "We've got the original Zohar now." Her statement was met happily by a few of the 100-series that were working close by.

"They're going to be after us now, though," said Shelley. "U-TIC _and_ the gnosis. We won't get a second to rest." Mary tilted her head to the side with a cocky grin.

"We've survived them before, we can do it again!" she proclaimed enthusiastically in her backwoods accent, grinning and pumping her fist in the air. "Besides, we've got all these lovely young ladies to help us," she said, smiling warmly at the realians scurrying around like worker bees. They blushed and giggled together at the recognition.

"…I guess you're right," Shelley sighed, getting back to work. Mary idly picked at her fingernail, plopping down at her own terminal. She flipped it on and made a grunt of revelation.

"It's getting kind of boring here on the bridge, isn't it?" the blonde asked absent-mindedly. "We should get a dog or something. That'd be pretty cool."

Shelley growled in frustration and laid rested head on the terminal.

"Mary, you're hopeless…"

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_I hold on to your body _

_And feel each move you make _

_Your voice is warm and tender _

_A love that I could not forsake _

The man sat at his desk, reading holographic reports of the day's activities. He ran his fingers through his thinning brown hair, sighing deeply. "_Sir, Mrs. Kaminski is here to see you_," a chipper female voice said over his intercom.

"Very well, send her in," he replied in an elegant voice, raising his deep brown eyes to look at the door. A slender woman with short ginger hair and bright blue eyes strode into the room, an all too familiar cunning smile adorning her face. She wore a curve-hugging black dress that showed off a small yet prominent swell in her stomach.

"Good evening, Master Heinlein," she said in a refined voice, tilting her chin upwards strongly. Heinlein laughed quietly shaking his head.

"Haven't we worked together for long enough, Citrene?" he asked. "You can at least call me 'Heinlein'. I'm tired of the master thing."

"Whatever suits you, sir," Citrene smirked. "The plan has been set in motion. The Durandal is in possession of the original Zohar."

"Ah, good. They will be under constant attack from the gnosis. Good work."

"But, I have grave news. We've received word from the dogs at U-TIC that an _old friend_ of yours has returned. And…"

"And?" Heinlein asked, waiting for her to continue.

"I saw her myself." Citrene pursed her lips, trying to convey the seriousness of the matter.

"The Divine Form…" Heinlein mused, closing his eyes. "Where is she now?"

"Nobody knows. I thought that we should find and destroy anyone who does."

"Only a choice few know, though," the man pointed out. "Mizrahi himself is dead, as well as the apprentice and the girl's family. The other young ones close to him...two work for U-TIC, so they'll get what's coming to them. But the third…nobody knows where he is now."

"I see," the pregnant woman nodded.

"Don't worry, Citrene," said Heinlein. "We will find the Divine Form eventually, and we _will_ exterminate her for good. That way, Hyams and Ziggurat can finally reign free."

Citrene bowed her head. "I certainly hope so. Speaking of Ziggurat, you should tell him that we intercepted visual data from an Ormus stronghold of number eight murdering number nine, with what looks like distraction techniques by our _little angel_…"

The mechanical swish of the office door made them both turn their heads to look.

'_Cause I'm your lady_

_And you are my man_

_Whenever you reach for me_

_I'll do all that I can_

"Um…excuse me, but I believe this young man is looking for you, Mrs. Kaminski," the secretary stammered, stepping aside for a small child to run in. He had his mother's ginger hair and translucent gray eyes, which sparkled brightly as he smiled excitedly. He waved his arms in the air excitedly, revealing the number "668-2" emblazoned on his right palm.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, running over and hugging Citrene, almost knocking her over. She gasped in surprise before bending over to pick him up.

"Cronin, what are you doing here?" she asked him. "I thought I told you to stay with the other children in the daycare area."

"I don't like the other kids," he muttered, staring at the number on his hand. "I'm different."

"Hm. The intelligence of his father with the recklessness of his uncles," Citrene smirked. Heinlein laughed softly.

"It's young master Cronin," he said, smiling at the child. "I haven't seen you since you were a little baby. How old are you now?" Cronin held up four fingers. "Oh my, you're growing very quickly!"

"Mommy's gonna have another baby. Then there'll be two of us," Cronin beamed. Citrene laughed.

"Daddy is excited too, isn't he?" the female U.R.T.V. asked her son. He smiled even wider.

"Well, I'll let you two enjoy the rest of the evening together," the older man spoke. Citrene bowed in a silent thank you and began for the door. "Oh, and Citrene…"

"Yes, Heinlein?"

"It's up to you to make sure that the Divine Form falls."

"…yes sir." And with that, Citrene and Cronin left the office.

_Lost is how I'm feeling lying in your arms_

_When the world outside's too much to take_

_That all ends when I'm with you_

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Albedo grunted as he dropped his bag of newly-purchased stuff on his bed in Gaignun's room in the Kukai Foundation Administrative Building. He had moved in with his brother since Jr. took Allen up on his offer (well, Shion's offer) and bought the apartment from him.

"Is that the last of it?" Gaignun asked from his desk, peering up from his paperwork. Albedo nodded and panted, wiping his brow. He collapsed on the bed, groaning.

"So…she woke up, didn't she?" the younger man asked.

"Hm? You mean Shion?" asked Albedo, lifting his head from the pillow.

Gaignun nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Wait," Albedo grunted and stood, walking over to the desk. "You knew?"

"I always knew," Gaignun replied, a soft and thoughtful smile making its way across his face.

"So, I guess the only one not clued in was Jr.," muttered the pallid-haired man, snickering. Gaignun half-sighed, half-laughed.

"Everyone's going to be after her now," the Kukai Foundation Chairman said in an ominous tone, closing his eyes and bridging his fingers.

"And we're going to be the ones to protect her," said Albedo, the determined look that Gaignun had seen so many times in Jr. sparkling in his amethyst eyes.

"You're a true visionary, you know that?" Gaignun smirked, raising his eyebrows at his brother. "I'm so glad to have you back. You have no idea how much Jr. and I missed you."

"Aww…" Albedo cooed. "Hug me, little brother!" Gaignun hesitated at first, but then walked around the desk and pulled Albedo into a warm, friendly hug.

"Let's agree to _never_ do that again," said the younger man in a deadly tone, breaking out of Albedo's embrace.

"Good idea. That was a bit creepy," the other U.R.T.V. admitted. "Well, can I sing it, just once?"

"Sing what?"

A mischievous smile spread across Albedo's face as he sang, "_Ebony and ivory, live together in perfect harmony…_" Gaignun let out a grunt of extreme frustration and sat back down on his desk, pounding his forehead against the grainy wood.

_Even though there may be times_

_It seems I'm far away_

_Never wonder where I am_

_'Cause I'm always by your side_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It won't be much longer now…" the brown-haired boy said with a wise smile. He looked at his surroundings; white, white, endless white. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of air…for luck, for life, for the future.

"I'll save the world. I'll protect the future for all mankind," he proclaimed loudly and determinedly, bright green eyes shimmering. "I swear it!"

"You will…someday," a soft girlish voice came from behind him. Mystery Boy quickly turned to see the ethereal vision of Nephilim, her blue eyes and orange hair standing out against the pallid background.

"Nephilim!" he exclaimed. His eyes shone as bright as the Second Miltian sun as he scrambled to his feet in front of her, standing about one foot taller than the girl.

"You are the wave that will come into all of their lives and change them for the better," she mused strongly. "You will protect them all. You will _make them proud_."

"I hope I will," the teen sighed, looking upwards resolutely. "I'll never give up. I _won't_ let them down!"

'_Cause I'm your lady_

_And you are my man_

_Whenever you reach for me_

_I'll do all that I can_

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The Second Miltian Space Port was busy as usual. Children ran around, laughing and playing. Ziggy and Juli stood opposite Jr. and Momo, preparing to say their temporary goodbyes. The cyborg idly looked at his newly-installed robotic arm, silently thanking Juli.

"Hey, I don't think they heard about Shion and Allen yet," Momo suddenly recalled. Juli and Ziggy tilted their heads to the side curiously.

"Shion isn't pregnant or anything, is she?" Juli asked concernedly. Jr. busted into hysterical laughter, falling on the floor as Ziggy shook his head.

"No!" Momo replied quickly, snickering. "Allen proposed to her during the fireworks!"

"Oh," said Juli, letting out a sigh of relief.

"It was really sudden," Jr. chimed in, smiling brightly. "I almost swallowed the ring! Man, it was so _awesome_!"

"I'm just glad you didn't ruin it," Ziggy muttered disdainfully. "Well, in any case, we're happy for them." Momo nodded enthusiastically.

"So…what's the situation?" Jr. asked, arms akimbo. "I'm moving into Allen's old apartment with chaos."

"Well, I'm planning on living with Momo for a while," Juli said, smiling at her "daughter". She turned to Ziggy and said, "I'd like to ask you to protect her again, should the need arise. What are your plans now?"

"Through the kindness of the representative trustee, I've been assigned to the Kukai Foundation. I am to be stationed on the Durandal, and if Momo requests, I will be loaned out to her as a matter of priority." Ziggy paused for dramatic effect, knowing what the reaction to his next statement was going to be. "For that purpose, I will also be undergoing life extension."

"Really?" Juli asked him excitedly, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

"Which representative trustee made the request?" the pink-haired woman queried curiously.

"The one who's not so little anymore." Ziggy smiled warmly.

"...Gaignun?" Jr. guessed, shrugging, completely not remembering.. Ziggy sighed and put his head in his hands as Juli laughed. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Right, it was me. I'm not so little anymore." He grinned, blushing. Momo rolled her eyes and pulled him away by the hand.

"Come on," she said, "let's leave those two alone for a few minutes."

"…ahhh, I see," he smirked, pointing his fingers like a gun at the two of them. "Don't go Shion and Allen on us, okay?" Momo shook her head and dragged the laughing redhead off.

_We're heading for something,_

_Somewhere I've never been_

_Sometimes I'm frightened,_

_But I'm ready to learn_

_Of the power of love_

"He's hopeless," Ziggy whispered.

"He wasn't always like that, though," Juli giggled. "He was always a charming young man back at the Institute…I wonder what happened."

"It must just be the author," Ziggy shrugged. The woman nodded in agreement.

"You're really going to get the life extension?" Juli blurted suddenly, blushing.

"Yes, I am," replied Ziggy straightforwardly. He felt content as he saw the smile spread across her face.

"I'm so happy that you decided to go with it," she said in almost a whisper. "I could have never been able to let such a great person like you go." They looked deep into each other's eyes, gazing down into the very soul.

"There's…something I need to get off of my chest," said the cyborg, self-consciously touching his metal arm. "Ever since I've known you, things in my life have been different. I used to have no hope. But…you were able to remind me of what I really am. I'm not completely emotionless and cold…I can still feel."

"You helped me too," Juli said softly, moving closer to him. "You convinced me that my life wasn't worthless. I'm important to plenty of people, like Momo. You taught me that I can love her without feeling any grief. And…" She paused, her face about an inch away from his. "This may sound crazy, but I've become quite captivated by you."

Slowly, as if in a dream, Juli pressed her lips softly against Ziggy's. After a second, she removed them. "Mmm…" she murmured, tilting her head backwards. "I can finally have hope."

Ziggy said nothing, shocked at Juli's sudden action. Yet, something had awakened inside of him, something that hadn't been there in a hundred years. Eventually, he heard himself speak.

"No, _we_ can finally have hope," he said in a newfound soft and gentle tone. Juli smiled, having never seen this side of him. This time, it was Ziggy to claim her lips in his, holding her waist. She rested her arms around on wide shoulders, gently wrapping them around his neck.

Jr. and Momo screeched in glee and hugged each other. "I can't believe it!" the pink-haired woman exclaimed. "This is incredible!"

"There must be something in the air," Jr. said in a cocky tone, tilting his head to the side and smiling sexily. Momo giggled and looked up at him, moving into his embrace.

"Well…" he sighed, tightening his grip on her. "I think we know the moral of this whole story."

"What's that?" Momo asked.

"You don't need manbits to get chicks," Jr. proclaimed with a wide smile.

Momo quirked an eyebrow and looked up at him. "No, no it's not…the moral of the story is that love can conquer everything."

Jr.'s mouth curled down into a thoughtful frown. "KOS-MOSrox stole that from Romeo and Juliet, didn't she?"

Momo rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "You know, you're just lucky you're so cute."

"Thanks," Jr. grinned before realization of her statement dawned upon him. "_Hey_, wait a second!"

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_The sound of your heart beating_

_Made it clear suddenly _

_The feeling that I can't go on_

_Is light years away_

Wilhelm's office on the Dammerung was eerily quiet. The Compass of Order revolved steadily on its axis, creating an illusion of peace and serenity in the events soon to come.

"You will not interfere," Wilhelm said, raising his eyes to the mask of the red-cloaked man standing in front of his desk. "You will let them live this out. Your time has passed…you could not do what was entrusted to you."

"But I _did_ do it," the testament argued. "The way things turned out we had no control over."

"I suppose you are right," sighed Wilhelm. "But, in any case, things are going according to plan now."

Red Cloak said, "I just wish that I could have one more day with her. One more chance."

"I know," Wilhelm sympathized. "Now if you will excuse me, I have an important appointment with a client." The testament nodded and exited the office.

'_You may come in now, Yeshua,'_ the Vector CEO thought. Less than a second later, chaos walked through the door, the ever-present wise look on his face.

"How much longer will it be?" Wilhelm looked at chaos. "How much longer until we win the war? How much longer until the salvation of humankind?"

"Just less than sixteen years," chaos replied, looking up at the stars.

"We've waited so long…" the other man said in a pensive tone. "We can wait a bit longer."

"I can't wait to finally see him." The swarthy-skinned teen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Our little brother…"

"Me neither, Yeshua," agreed Wilhelm. "He will be great." A short silence followed.

"That android…she reminds you of Catherine, doesn't she? She reminds you of our protector?"

"Hm?" chaos suddenly looked up, confused at his brother's question. "What do you mean?"

"I can see it in your eyes," stated Wilhelm. "I can see it when you're around her. That look of nostalgia is unmistakable."

"Is it really that obvious?" the seraphim asked sheepishly. Wilhelm nodded. "I just wish she could know the feelings that we do."

"She will soon enough, Yeshua. Besides…this play would be nothing without her."

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"_Come on, you morons, let's move_!" Captain Matthews's voice boomed over the loudspeaker of the Elsa. The great ship was docked and waiting in the Dammerung's gigantic docking bay. Jin started down the walkway to the entrance of the spacecraft, slinging his purple duffel over his shoulder.

"Jin, you're really okay with Allen moving in with us?" Shion asked, walking up behind him.

"As long as he's housebroken," replied the samurai in a chuckle, using that dry sense of humor. Shion laughed as Allen came up behind her.

"I resent that, you know," he joked.

"I'm sorry." Jin smiled.

"You still haven't told us where you're off to," the brunette woman told him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

'Well, Shion, your speech about me shutting down my medical practice got me thinking," her brother replied. "There still is _one_ type of doctor needed in this day in age."

"What's that?" asked Allen. The corners of Jin's mouth turned upwards into a sly smirk.

"I'm going to be an obstetrician." Shion coughed loudly and Allen just stood there, a look of sheer shock on his face. "Oh, come on, you two…it's natural."

"And let me guess," Shion scoffed. "In six months, you'll be selling real estate?"

"I'll do the best I can," Jin chuckled. "Although…I don't know if time will wait another six months."

The samurai looked in awe at his sister, proud at the beautiful woman she had become. Even though she wasn't exactly normal, and her past had been difficult, she had a wonderful future to look forward to. She was getting married, and maybe sometime in a few years she would pop him out some nieces and nephews. He enjoyed so much watching her grow, and he couldn't wait to see the next chapter of her life unfold. They had their differences, but after all, she was his baby sister.

"Uh, Second Miltia to Jin," Allen spoke, waving his hand in front of his future brother-in-law's face. Jin shot him a death glare that Allen could feel in his very soul. He quickly retracted his hand.

"Anyways, I'm leaving for a two-week seminar on Keltia," Jin explained. "The Elsa's crew was kind enough to give me a lift. Oh, and while I'm gone, my bed is off-limits. You dig?"

"Yes, Jin," the young couple replied, voices flat.

"_Am I talking to a vat of molasses here? Let's move!_" the gruff voice of the ship's captain rang again, and loudspeaker crackling under his yell. Jin shrugged and continued down the walkway.

"Wait, Jin!" Shion exclaimed.

'_Cause I'm your lady_

_And you are my man_

_Whenever you reach for me_

_I'll do all that I can_

"Hm?" Jin looked over his shoulder. Shion ran to him, pulling him into an embrace. He drew in a sharp breath of air, shocked at the sudden contact. Eventually he relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around her. He had waited so long for this moment…

"Be careful, okay?" she whispered, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"Shion, why-"

"Let's just say that someone who's taller than me now gave me some advice," she replied, smiling softly.

"_You're making me sick with your familial warmth, let's move!_"

"I'd better head off," said Jin. "I don't want him to beat me in a drunken rage." The samurai waved at Allen before entering the ship. The Vector employees hustled back to the main walkway, waving as the ship began to warm up. Jin signaled to Shion and held up his left hand, pointing at his ring finger. Shion beamed and held up her hand, showing the ring to the crew as Allen put an arm around her, beaming.

Matthews nodded, smirking, and Tony sunk into the pilot seat, glaring straight ahead and muttering something angrily. Hammer grinned and gave them a double thumbs-up. He motioned his arms as if cradling a baby, holding up two fingers. Allen nudged Shion in the ribs, raising an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face, holding out his hands. Shion rolled her eyes and slightly pushed him away.

The deafening roar of the engine kicked in as the ship lifted off, flying into the blackness of space. Just when Shion and Allen thought they were alone at last…

"Shiiiiiiiion!"

"Oh, _hell_ n-" Allen could barely get the statement out before they saw a blurred Vector uniform hurtling towards them at top speed.

"Miyuki!" Shion shouted excitedly. Suddenly, as if in slow-motion, Miyuki's foot caught on the floor and she fell flat on her face. Shion and Allen both tried to suppress their laughter, but it was to no avail. They held on to each other, laughing hysterically, tears running down their cheeks.

"I'm okay!" the fallen woman proclaimed proudly, hopping to her feet as if the fall didn't happen. "I'm not bleeding or anything!"

She started over to them again, walking this time to avoid tripping. Shion held out her left hand, showing off the ring. "Shion, that damn apple diet worked for a while, but then abruptly stopped when I started eating things other than app- buttery Christ spread evenly on a Triscuit, what is that?"

"It's called an engagement ring," said Shion sarcastically. Miyuki's jaw hit the floor as she almost broke Shion's fingers looking at it.

"Oh. Mah. Gawd," the woman sputtered, staring incredulously at the sparkling diamond. "Who when how where why?"

"Allen, last night, he put it in my wine, fireworks, and I'm not even going to answer the last one," Shion answered. Allen nodded contentedly.

"I didn't see that coming," Miyuki shrugged. "Damn KOS-MOSrox and her obsessions."

"We're also moving in together," Shion pointed out proudly.

"…can I come too?"

"_No_," Allen answered quickly, terrified at the very thought.

"I was kidding, Christ," Miyuki grumbled.

"So, what brings you down here?" Shion asked casually.

"Well, the instant I heard that the Elsa had docked, I knew you were here," the younger woman replied. "It sounds like a lot happened!"

"You can say that again," Allen laughed. "I wanna take a nice long vacation."

"Me too," Shion admitted. She looked at Allen sexily. "You know what else? I wanna take a nice long f-"

"Okay, alright, enough!" Miyuki exclaimed, desperately covering her ears. "I don't want to hear it! I just ate!"

"We dropped KOS-MOS off at Second Division Headquarters today," said the man.

"It was kind of hard to say goodbye." Shion sighed. "But at least we get a chance to relax now."

"True," Miyuki nodded. "Well, I'd better be off. Wilhelm loaded a mountain of reports on me…I've gotta get started. Smell you guys later!" The hyper young scientist sped off as quickly as she had arrived, almost tripping again. She should take some walking classes or something, honestly…

Shion and Allen looked at each other, sighing in relief. She smiled brightly and basically dove into his arms. Laughing, he picked her up and swung her around before she wrapped her legs around his waist. They shared a deep, passionate kiss, knowing that it was over. Or so they thought…

Shion allowed herself to drop to the floor, holding onto Allen tightly. As she looked into his eyes, she knew that he was the one. His bright blue eyes were so alive with passion and fire. Shion cupped his cheek in her hand, wanting to touch their heat and light. He leaned forward slightly and kissed her again. They pulled apart, noses touching, breathing silently. "You know what I just realized?" Shion asked in a whisper, resting her head on Allen's chest.

_We're heading for something,_

_Somewhere I've never been_

_Sometimes I am frightened,_

_But I'm ready to learn_

_Of the power of love_

"Hm?" Allen asked, pressing a kiss against her forehead. Her hair smelled like fruit and vanilla, causing a shiver to run up his spine. It was amazing what her scent could do to him.

"We're getting _married_," Shion pointed out, laughing. Allen smiled and laced his fingers through hers, feeling the ring on her finger. "You know what else?"

"What else?"

"We've got the whole house to ourselves for _two weeks_!" she exclaimed. She wiggled her eyebrows at Allen, massing his shoulders. "There's nobody to stop us from doing anything…and I mean _anything_..."

Allen blushed furiously, scratching the back of his neck timidly. "I-I guess you're right…" he stammered, grinning. Shion smirked contentedly. She loved how she could do that to him.

There, in that virtually vacant docking bay, the lovers embraced each other, knowing that the future was going to be great. He had gained confidence, and her heart had opened to the world once more. Life and love were no longer deprived of them. They had overcome the odd, they had even cheated death…and there they were, in each other's arms.

'_The power of love…'_ she mused to herself. '_I'm convinced._'

As Shion looked up at the man who had unexpectedly opened her eyes and shown her so much, she smiled and said the only think that came to mind:

"Well, Allen, shall we? It's time to go home."

_The power of love…_

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**A/n: It's over.**

**I can't believe it.**

…**-cries-**

**I could have never done any of this without you. This is my first fanfic ever completed, and I'm feeling very nostalgic right now! The idea for this story was spawned as I watched The Matrix: Reloaded with my dad at my future stepmother's house. The Zion Rave scene really got the gears in my mind moving. I had recently finished Xenosaga Episode II, and was disappointed because no Shiallen. So…I formulated a plot for something completely different than this story.**

…**a lemon. A oneshot lemon. That's originally what this story was going to be…the first chapter would stand alone as a mature story. Then a good friend of mine –CoughAERISCough- told me that I should rewrite the whole story. Such was born Die Kraft der Liebe. The title, translated to English, is "The Power of Love". This story was my summer, autumn, and the majority of my winter…and I wouldn't have wanted to spend them any other way.**

**So about halfway through this story, I made up my mind to revise and redo my old chapter stories…both Mystery of the Night and It's Okay, I'm with the Band! will be receiving makeovers. I'm not sure when, but I'll do it.**

**Now it's time for thank-yous. I'll only use the initials of my real-life friends to PROTECT THEIR IDENTITY! –Mission Impossible Theme- And also, if you've reviewed this story before February 27, 2006, you'll be added in here.**

**Thank you to my parents, without whom I wouldn't be here. That goes without saying, but…**

**Thank you to my great friends CK, ATK, and AG for being just wonderfully random…and the inspiration for Jr.'s personality. I love you guys. Don't change.**

**Another thank you to NJ and AP, for just being there for me and giving me the occasional idea. One of AP's best is to be seen in the sequel…The Almighty Pizza Hut Song.**

**Thank you to my inspiration for writing, Dan Brown. I've read all of his books, and I'm currently in the process of re-reading Digital Fortress for the sixth time. I can't wait until May, when The Da Vinci Code will be released as a movie here. **

**A very, very, very, very, very special thank you to the Xenolegacy forum. Without you guys, I would've never had a place to pimp this story. Just kidding! You guys inspire me, especially the Gutter Commission. One year anniversary is past! Let's keep our friendships forever. No matter what, I'll never forget you.**

**Reviewers (From first to most recent)**

**Digi Chris: Even though you never reviewed, I feel that I must thank you deeply. First of all, for letting me steal your thank-a-thon idea. Thank you for mentioning me at the end of Borne Up on Angel Wings! The fact that I was in your thank-a-thon made me feel like a million bucks. The last reason is…thank you for keeping the competitive edge in me. Borne Up on Angel Wings was such and amazing story! I tried my hardest to make a ShionxAllen fanfic that could be as good, but I must say that I didn't succeed. Please, keep writing, and good luck in college!**

**NeoChick: Hate to say it, but I seriously wasn't expecting you to be my first reviewer. XD! Thank you so much for the review. You're the best ShionxGaignun loving Canadian I've ever met!**

**100-series: Where to start! You are one of my role models in art and writing. I can honestly say that you write and draw better than anyone I've ever met. Your constant support and compliments are truly what kept me going. I want Find Us Peace rewritten ASAP, get it? XD –Hugs-**

**suxx0rzehey: That gun had better not be loaded. XD! Thank you so much for the review. True, chapter one was just on the brink of a lemon.**

**chaosxShion: …help me, help me! I'm drowning in a load of Shaos! Haha, all kidding aside, you're one of my best friends, despite our pairing preferences. You keep writing, girl, and tell Fabian I said hi!**

**Akira Bane/Celeste Rose: Oh mah Gawd. You had to be my best reviewer. I'm so sorry that I didn't get to develop Jin very much, but I promise he'll be important in the sequel. Your constant support really got me off my ass and made me write. So, I have a surprise for you…you'll be a character in the sequel. If you review this chapter, tell me what name you want, okay? I promise you'll love this role. –Twisted grin- Oh, and Flogging Molly is indeed awesome.**

**Kos-mosMomo: You're an awesome person and reviewer. I'm looking forward to the update of your stories, and your review meant a lot to me!**

**Meltykisskirakira88: Thanks, I can't get enough romance either! I hope that the mushiness of this story touched your heart in places that…I'm grossing myself out here with fluff. P!**

**Monster Hospital: Yeah, chapter 1 was pretty hot Oo; Thank you so much for the review! I'll be sure to keep writing.**

**littlesnowfarie2005: Ahhh, it's my hundredth reviewer! I'll be sure you have your chaosxKOS-MOS oneshot done ASAP. Thank you so much for the reviews!**

**Ra: Litte sister! –Glomps- I hope you were happy with the ending. You're truly a zealous and awesome writer! Update The Secret Diary very soon, or else I'll whoop you. I'll whoop you bad. Just kidding! Thanks so much for your support –Hugs-**

**renderedvoice: Don't worry, there's sure to be some hot chaosxKOS-MOS stuff in the sequel, just for you. Thanks so much for the awesome review!**

**Aeris: EDEN! –Glomp hug kiss- -Gets very weirded out- Okay, let's not do that ever again. So…you are the wind beneath my wings, so to speak. You're awesome, exuberant, and you've been a great friend since we met two years ago on the XSF. You've given me so many ideas, so many laughs, and so much advice. Thank you for always being there for me. I'll always be there for you.**

**Tainted-Dreamz: It's Momo! Oh my gosh! You know what, I'm sorry I haven't been at XRM for a while. I promise I'm slowly migrating back! I promise to make more Jr. and Momo action in the sequel. You're a great friend and a great writer. Never change.**

**E.S. Simeon: Thanks so much for the review! That's an awesome username, my second-favorite mech in the games. **

**Chuckie: -Gives you 189347128374 lifesize Kosy synths- Thanks for the constant support, my fellow chaos-hater! I would've killed him off, but then the story wouldn't really work. You're hilarious. Don't ever let society conform you, bro. Dad. –Smiles innocently-**

**Luna-Starr: You're wrong! Jin puts _marmalade_ on his toast! –Sticks out tongue- Hehehe…thank you so much for the review. I can see that you have a great sense of humor!**

**Ekplixi: Holy long review, Batman! Thank you so much for the advice. I know that I kinda tossed them together too quickly, but hey, it's pretty good for the obsessive soul that I am. You're an incredible author, and your most recent oneshot has intrigued me with Juli and Gaignun. Was that Juli and Gaignun? XD whatever pairing it was, I enjoyed it immensely.**

**RayxJade: Wondrous…I like that word. –Says it- It just kinda rolls off the tongue! LOL! Thank you so much for the review, it meant a lot to me. **

**screennameless: Thank you so much for the reviews! They kept me going. Be sure to get a screenname soon! LOL**

**Daemen Reisho: Thanks for the review! I like the title too…the whole "power of love" scene in the original game made me have a heart attack, so I figured that it would be a good title.**

**Leoth: I love Albedo too! He's so kawaii. Thank you so much for the review!**

**Avril: Oo; you're-you're seriously Avril Lavigne? If that's true, I'm really flattered. Even if you're not, then I still am flattered. Thanks a lot for the compliment!**

**RavensFirefly: Thanks so much! Yeah, adding in the battle phrases was tough. It sounded strange to me in a few places, but whatever. –Hugs-**

**Rockreaper: Allen was shirtless because he's sexy. LOL! Thank you so much for the review, it really meant a lot to me! You're also one of the only people to get my references. That's awesome. And I agree, "knuckle up" was kind of strange.**

**voyae: Yes, I agree…Allen vs. Albedo! –Sells tickets- It'll be the fight of the century! –Snickers- thank you so much for your review!**

**AmissatheAries: I can only understand things with dirty jokes too, so you're not alone there. Thanks for the review; I couldn't have done it without you!**

**Tsukiko Rain: …Toast is one of the best stories ever. EVER. Especially Margulie sliding out the window. That was incredible! Hehehe, thanks so much for the review! It's always great to find ShionxAllen lovers.**

**yuffiegal: You're possibly one of my most enthusiastic reviewers. Thank you for the support, dear!**

**I-luv-Dom: Yep, I'm Shion Ridgeley from Xenolegacy. I know who you are! Hehe, thanks for the review!**

**Albedo's Bitch: That is simply an awesome username. Thank you so much for the compliment!**

**JimHawking21: Yes! Allen should have caught Shion! Thanks so much for the compliment, I really appreciated it!**

**DiamondKing12: You. Are. Awesome. Hands down. I have a feeling that you'll be quite satisfied with yourself after the sequel. Thanks so much for the compliment. You made me feel like a million bucks.**

**ally: Yes, the tech attack…I don't know what came over me. Thanks for the review!**

**puchikonyu: …HALLO MY SHIALLEN LEMON FRIEND. –Breathes heavily- That cookie was really good, by way. You're an awesome person, and I reward you with buttcookies. No chocolate chips this time!**

**SJ: You'd better update Tangled Web soon. And I mean soon. Hehe! Thank you so much for the compliment. Keep writing, gutter buddy!**

**Blue Persuasion: Mwahaha, awesome review. I'm glad you liked the Tree Method. You're an awesome person! –Hugs-**

**Terri: I made someone love Jr. more than Albedo! Holy gosh! I've never done that before! Lol, thanks so much for your review.**

**Chaos and KOS-MOS 4ever: I agree with your username whole-heartedly. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Devilman666 redangeldemon: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked it.**

**Leoth: …-Puts on Kirschie hat- There. Thanks so much for the review!**

**raymond veenendaal rayveene: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you liked the story, and I hope the ending suited you.**

**renrinisadork: Aww, I'm no God. But thanks for the review! I hope you enjoyed the story. And stop slapping poor Jr., pwease ;.;**

**Kayako-sama: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the story.**

**Patricia Nguyen qnn75243: Jr.xMomo is awesome, but kind of hard to write. I'm so glad you reviewed!**

**godofwar17: Haha, thanks for pointing out my German flub! Warehouse our Crossed –Lol- I think that'd make a good title. **

**Cyhara: There's a really funny story behind your review. I'm sitting in computer class and decided to check my email, and hey! I had a review. So I looked at your user page, and had a heart attack when I noticed that one of your favorite pairings was Shionxchaos. So I said out loud, "Holy Winnipeg, I was reviewed positively by a Shionxchaos fan who isn't Meg!" Everyone stared at me. –Blushes- Thanks so much for the compliment. And, I hate to do this, but…_GO STEELERS! _–Whacked- XD okay, I'll stop.**

**And now, KOS-MOS rox sleeps.**

**Well, I'm going to finish this sandwich first. Then I'll sleep.**

**Epilogue will be posted soon.**


	19. Epilogue: A Storm is Coming

**Don't own anything in this chapter.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Xenosaga Episode II: Die Kraft der Liebe**

**Epilogue: A Storm is Coming**

_Something's happening, and she can feel it._

_It's coursing through his veins, embedding itself in her mind like a splinter._

Wilhelm sat in his eerily quiet office, gazing into the Compass of Order. _Before the time comes, they will all have their crosses to bear. It will be hard, but they can succeed._

He hit the button on his intercom. "_Yes, Mater Wilhelm?_" his secretary's voice came through the speaker.

"Give Shion Uzuki and Allen Ridgeley from First Division the next three weeks off. They've been through a lot," he ordered her before cutting off the transmission. "And they're about to go through a whole lot more…" he murmured as he looked into the Compass. Shion's face appeared, screaming in agony, pale, and sweating.

_Her private hell is only just beginning...t__he night is still young…_

_It is time for the second act to begin._

**To Be Continued **


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